The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) is considering inviting Yemen war parties, including the Iran-backed Houthi militias, for talks in Riyadh this month as part of an initiative aimed at backing UN-led peace efforts, two Gulf officials told Reuters.
Formal invitations would be sent within days for the talks on military, political and economic aspects of the war between the and a coalition led by Saudi Arabia, said the officials, who declined to be named ahead of an official announcement this week. The conflict enters its eighth year on Tuesday.
They said Houthi officials would be "guests" of GCC Secretary General Dr. Nayef Al-Hajraf at the body's Riyadh headquarters and would have his security guarantees if the group accepted the invitation for the talks, which are planned from March 29-April 7.
The officials said President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi, who is based in Riyadh, had agreed to the talks.
Yemen has been eclipsed by Russia's invasion of Ukraine, and the GCC initiative comes ahead of a donors conference on March 16.
The United Nations special envoy to Yemen last week held talks with Yemeni parties aimed at building a framework for inclusive political negotiations.
Efforts by the United States and the United Nations to secure a ceasefire last year failed, and violence has intensified.
