Iran should help end wars in region, says Kerry

US Secretary of State John Kerry on Thursday urged Iran to support efforts to end wars in Yemen and Syria where Tehran's allies continue to oppose Arab Gulf rivals.

MENA

2 min read

The New Arab

07 April, 2016

Kerry is the first US Secretary of State to visit Bahrain since 2010 [AFP]

Iran should help end wars in Yemen and Syria, US Secretary of State John Kerry urged on Thursday as Tehran and its Gulf Arab rivals continue waging wars across different battlefields in the region.

Kerry called on Iran to "help us end the war in Yemen... help us end the war in Syria, not intensify, and help us to be able to change the dynamics of this region".

The comments came as Kerry made his first visit to Bahrain since as Secretary of State.

Tehran should "prove to the world that it wants to be a constructive member of the international community and contribute to peace and stability", Kerry told a news conference in Manama.

Bahraini Foreign Minister Sheikh Khalid bin Ahmed Al-Khalifa echoed the calls stating "yes, we do want to see Iran change its foreign policy."

But Kerry also voiced concern over Manama's discrimination against its Shia majority population and said respect for human rights was "essential".

The visit comes just weeks before President Barack Obama is scheduled to attend a Gulf Cooperation Council [GCC] summit in Riyadh.


Kerry made the comments during an official visit to Bahrain.

A Saudi led-coalition involving all Gulf Arab states with exception of Oman, has been involved in a military campaign in Yemen since March last year in an attempt to defeat Houthi rebels.

US-supplied bombs were allegedly used in coalition air strikes on a market that killed at least 97 civilians including children last month, according to Human Rights Watch.

"With respect to Yemen I don't have solid information, any documentation, with respect to what weapon might or might not have been used," Kerry said.

The United States has been exerting efforts to "try to secure a full ceasefire in Yemen", he added.