Saudi Gazette report

RIYADH — The recent attacks launched by the Iran-backed Houthi militia on Saudi Arabia targeted the nerve center of the global economy, said Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Minister Prince Faisal Bin Farhan said on Wednesday.

The attacks with ballistic missiles and explosive-laden drones were, however, thwarted by the Saudi-led Arab Coalition forces.

He made the remarks during a joint press conference with his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov in Riyadh, calling on the international community to shoulder its responsibility and pressure the Houthis into signing a ceasefire agreement and sticking to the political course to end the crisis.

Reiterating the Kingdom’s position with regard to Yemen, the foreign minister said: "We renew our support to reach a political solution to the crisis in Yemen."

“The priority in Yemen is to reach a comprehensive cease-fire," he added, stressing that "the Arab Coalition declared a unilateral ceasefire in Yemen about a year ago."

Prince Faisal Bin Farhan also stated that "the United Nations should extend its arms embargo on Iran."

"We stress the importance of Iran not having a nuclear weapon," he said.

Highlighting the significance of Saudi Arabia’s strategic alliance with Russia, Prince Faisal Bin Farhan stressed: "We will support any efforts to achieve stability in Syria."

For his part, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov stressed that his country's relationship with Saudi Arabia is deeply rooted in various fields.

Lavrov said: "We have a common interest with Saudi Arabia to combat the coronavirus pandemic."

He also underlined the importance of stability in the Arab Gulf, expressing Moscow's concern over developments in Yemen.

"We will work to prevent the global economy from being affected by high oil prices," he said.

"Russia is committed to the unity and independence of the Syrian territories," Lavrov added.