السعودية ومصر والإمارات والبحرين تعلن قطع علاقاتها الدبلوماسية مع قطر Six Arab governments, including Egypt, cut ties with Qatar over terrorism and 'meddling'

أعلنت كل من المملكة العربية السعودية ومصر والإمارات ومملكة البحرين، الاثنين 5 يونيو، قطع علاقاتها الدبلوماسية مع دولة قطر.

Yemen and Libya's eastern government have joined Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and the UAE in severing ties with Qatar on Monday morning, citing its support for Islamist groups and attempts at destabilization within the region

وجاء، في بيان وكالة الأنباء البحرينية، أن مملكة البحرين تعلن سحب بعثتها الدبلوماسية من الدوحة، وإمهال جميع أفراد البعثة القطرية 48 ساعة لمغادرة البلاد، مع استكمال تطبيق الإجراءات اللازمة. كما أمهلت حكومة البحرين المواطنيين القطريين 14 يوما لمغادرة أراضيها.

Six Arab governments, including Egypt, cut diplomatic ties with Qatar early on Monday morning, with Yemen and Libya's eastern-based government among the latest to join the joint effort to isolate Doha.

وأوردت وكالة الأنباء السعودية أن الرياض تقطع علاقاتها الدبلوماسية والقنصلية مع قطر، ونقلت عن مصدر مسؤول قوله إن المملكة قررت إغلاق كافة المنافذ البرية والبحرية والجوية، ومنع العبور في الأراضي والأجواء والمياه الإقليمية السعودية، والبدء بالإجراءات القانونية الفورية للتفاهم مع الدول الشقيقة والصديقة والشركات الدولية، لتطبيق هذا الإجراء بأسرع وقت ممكن، لكافة وسائل النقل، من وإلى دولة قطر، وذلك لأسباب تتعلق بالأمن الوطني السعودي.

The nations have cited Qatar's support for Islamist groups and alleged meddling in the affairs of other states.

The Gulf states of Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and the UAE were among those cutting relations with Qatar, further deepening a rift among members of the Gulf Cooperation Council, of which Qatar is a member.

بيان قطع الرياض لعلاقاتها الدبلوماسية مع قطر

تعلن المملكة العربية السعودية أن قطع علاقاتها مع قطر هدفه "حماية أمنها الوطني من مخاطر الإرهاب والتطرف"، ونتهم قطر بإرتكاب "انتهاكات جسيمة سرا وعلنا لشق الصف السعودي".

أن الرياض انطلاقاً من ممارسة حقوقها السيادية التي كفلها القانون الدولي، وحماية لأمنها الوطني من مخاطر الإرهاب والتطرف، فإنها قررت قطع العلاقات الدبلوماسية والقنصلية مع دولة قطر، كما قررت إغلاق كافة المنافذ البرية والبحرية والجوية، ومنع العبور في الأراضي والأجواء والمياه الإقليمية السعودية، والبدء بالإجراءات القانونية الفورية للتفاهم مع الدول الشقيقة والصديقة والشركات الدولية لتطبيق ذات الإجراء بأسرع وقت ممكن لكافة وسائل النقل من وإلى دولة قطر، وذلك لأسباب تتعلق بالأمن الوطني السعودي.

"السعودية اتخذت قرارها الحاسم هذا نتيجة للانتهاكات الجسيمة التي تمارسها السلطات في الدوحة، سرا وعلنا، طوال السنوات الماضية بهدف شق الصف الداخلي السعودي، والتحريض للخروج على الدولة، والمساس بسيادتها، واحتضان جماعات إرهابية وطائفية متعددة تستهدف ضرب الاستقرار في المنطقة"، ومنها جماعة (الإخوان المسلمين) و(داعش) و(القاعدة)، والترويج لأدبيات ومخططات هذه الجماعات عبر وسائل إعلامها بشكل دائم، ودعم نشاطات الجماعات الإرهابية المدعومة من إيران في محافظة القطيف من المملكة العربية السعودية، وفي مملكة البحرين الشقيقة وتمويل وتبني وإيواء المتطرفين الذين يسعون لضرب استقرار ووحدة الوطن في الداخل والخارج، واستخدام وسائل الإعلام التي تسعى إلى تأجيج الفتنة داخليا، كما اتضح للمملكة العربية السعودية الدعم والمساندة من قبل السلطات في الدوحة لميليشيا الحوثي الانقلابية، حتى بعد إعلان تحالف دعم الشرعية في اليمن.

"الرياض إتخذت هذا القرار تضامنا مع مملكة البحرين الشقيقة التي تتعرض لحملات وعمليات إرهابية مدعومة من قبل السلطات في الدوحة".

و"منذ عام 1995، بذلت المملكة العربية السعودية وأشقاؤها جهوداً مضنية ومتواصلة لحث السلطات في الدوحة على الالتزام بتعهداتها، والتقيد بالاتفاقيات، إلا أن هذه السلطات دأبت على نكث التزاماتها الدولية، وخرق الاتفاقات التي وقعتها تحت مظلة دول مجلس التعاون لدول الخليج العربية، بالتوقف عن الأعمال العدائية ضد المملكة، والوقوف ضد الجماعات والنشاطات الإرهابية ، وكان آخر ذلك عدم تنفيذها لاتفاق الرياض".

و أنه "إنفاذاً لقرار قطع العلاقات الدبلوماسية والقنصلية يمنع على المواطنين السعوديين السفر إلى دولة قطر، أو الإقامة فيها، أو المرور عبرها، وعلى المقيمين والزائرين منهم سرعة المغادرة خلال مدة لا تتجاوز 14 يوماً، كما تمنع، بكل أسف، لأسباب أمنية احترازية دخول أو عبور المواطنين القطريين إلى المملكة العربية السعودية، وتمهل المقيمين والزائرين منهم مدة 14 يوماً للمغادرة، مؤكدة التزامها وحرصها على توفير كل التسهيلات والخدمات للحجاج والمعتمرين القطريين".

و أن "المملكة العربية السعودية تؤكد أنها صبرت طويلاً رغم استمرار السلطات في الدوحة على التملص من التزاماتها، والتآمر عليها، حرصاً منها على الشعب القطري الذي هو امتداد طبيعي وأصيل لإخوانه في المملكة، وجزء من أرومتها، وستظل المملكة سنداً للشعب القطري الشقيق وداعمة لأمنه واستقراره بغض النظر عما ترتكبه السلطات في الدوحة من ممارسات عدائية".

The move began on Monday morning with Bahrain announcing that it was cutting diplomatic ties with Qatar and closing all transport links, according to Bahrain's state news agency. Bahrain cited alleged meddling in its internal affairs by Qatar.

Bahrain's action was followed by GCC ally Saudi Arabia, which said it was cutting ties on the grounds of "protection of national security", as announced by the Saudi state news agency.

ولم تمض دقائق حتى اتخذت القاهرة قرارا مشابها، يرتكز على ما تقول إنه دعم الدوحة للتنظيمات الإرهابية وتعزيزها بذور الفتنة والانقسام داخل المجتمعات العربية. وذلك وفق بيان صدر عن الخارجية المصرية.

The the SPA news agency said that Qatar “embraces multiple terrorist and sectarian groups aimed at disturbing stability in the region, including the Muslim Brotherhood, ISIS and Al-Qaeda, and promotes the message and schemes of these groups through their media constantly.”

The UAE, Yemen and Egypt then followed suit, with the eastern-based government of war-torn Libya finally joining the diplomatic action to isolate Qatar.

Egypt announced the closure of its airspace and seaports for all Qatari transportation to protect its national security, the foreign ministry said in a statement.

ثم سرعان ما أعلنت أبوظبي تأييد قرارات الدول السابقة ذكرها، فقررت بدورها إغلاق كافة المنافذ البحرية والجوية أمام الحركة القادمة والمغادرة إلى قطر خلال 24 ساعة.

وقالت وكالة أنباء الإمارات، على حسابها في موقع "تويتر": "الإمارات، تقرر قطع العلاقات مع قطر، بما فيها العلاقات الدبلوماسية وإمهال البعثة الدبلوماسية القطرية 48 ساعة لمغادرة البلاد".

وأضافت أن "الإمارات تقرر منع دخول وعبور المواطنين القطريين إلى الدولة... الإمارات تمنع المواطنين الإماراتيين من السفر إلى دولة قطر والإقامة فيها والمرور عبرها".

"Qatar's policy threatens Arab national security and sows the seeds of strife and division within Arab societies according to a deliberate plan aimed at the unity and interests of the Arab nation," the statement read.

Egypt accused the Gulf Arab state of supporting "terrorist" organisations, including the Muslim Brotherhood.

Yemen also cut ties with Qatar, saying it supported the decision by the Saudi-led coalition to end Qatar's participation in the war there. The government of President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi said it severed ties with Qatar in part over is support of extremist groups in Yemen "in contradiction with the goals announced by the countries supporting the legitimate government."

Saudi Arabia also said Qatari troops would be pulled from the ongoing war in Yemen.

إضافة إلى ما سبق، أعلنت السعودية والبحرين إنهاء مشاركة القطريين في قوات التحالف العربي في اليمن.

The move to isolate Qatar was joined by Libya's eastern government later on Monday morning, according to its foreign minister, Mohamed Dayri. The eastern-based government is aligned with military commander Halifa Haftar, with whom Egypt has joined in recent military operations against Daesh terrorist camps in Libyan territory.

Daesh is among the terrorist groups that Qatar is accused of supporting across the region.

Bahrain and the UAE announced that their diplomatic staff had 48 hours to return from Qatar.

تجدر الإشارة إلى أن الأزمة الخليجية اندلعت إبان نشر وكالة الأنباء القطرية "قنا" تصريحات لأمير قطر، الشيخ تميم بن حمد آل ثاني، حول إيران، نفتها لاحقا مؤكدة اختراق موقعها.

Travel disruption

The move to isoloate Qatar has sparked fears of widespread travel disruption, with flights among the most seriously affected.

Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and the UAE announced that their citizens would be given 14 days to make arrangements before a ban would be imposed on travel to and from Qatar.

The Abu Dhabi-based airline Etihad says it has suspended flights to Qatar. Etihad said on its website Monday that "until further notice" its last flights would leave early Tuesday morning.

ويذكر أن التصريحات التي نقلت عن أمير قطر، أثناء رعايته حفل تخريج الدفعة الثامنة من مجندي الخدمة الوطنية في ميدان معسكر الشمال الشهر الماضي تقول: "إيران تمثل ثقلا إقليميا وإسلاميا لا يمكن تجاهله، وليس من الحكمة التصعيد معها، مؤكدا أنها قوة كبرى تضمن الاستقرار في المنطقة".

Qatar Airways said on its official website on Monday that it had suspended all flights to Saudi Arabia.

Qatar is also home to the sprawling Al-Udeid Air Base, which is home to the US military's Central Command and some 10,000 American troops, although no announcements have been made on the future of the US military presence there.

قطر تصدر بيانا حول إجراءات دول عربية ضدها

تعرب وزارة الخارجية القطرية عن أسفها لقرار السعودية والإمارات والبحرين قطع العلاقات مع الإمارة، معتبرة أن هذه الإجراءات غير مبررة وتقوم على مزاعم وادعاءات لا أساس لها من الصحة.

وتضيف وزارة الخارجية، في بيان اليوم بتاريخ الاثنين 5 يونيو ، أن هذه الإجراءات لن تؤثر على سير الحياة الطبيعي للمواطنين والمقيمين، مؤكدة أن قطر ستسعى لإفشال محاولات التأثير على المجتمع والإقتصاد القطريين.

'Unjustified' action

Qatar responded angrily to the joint action to isolate it, describing the move as "unjustified" and aimed at putting Doha under political "guardianship".

"The measures are unjustified and are based on false and baseless claims," the Qatari foreign ministry said in a statement.

"The aim is clear, and it is to impose guardianship on the state. This by itself is a violation of its [Qatar's] sovereignty as a state," it added.

While many Arab media outlets are reporting the developments as a response to Qatar's support for terroism, the Al-Jazeera news organization, which is owned by Qatar, has explained the dispute as stemming from a purported hack of Qatar's state-run news agency.

On 23 May, news emerged that the website and social media accounts of the Qatar News Agency had been hacked, allegedly carrying "fake news" reports relating to Qatari emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani.

وتقول وزارة الخارجية، في بيانها اليوم : "لقد تعرضت دولة قطر إلى حملة تحريض تقوم على افتراءات وصلت حد الفبركة الكاملة، ما يدل على نوايا مبيته للإضرار بالدولة، علما بأن دولة قطر عضو فاعل في مجلس التعاون الخليجي وملتزمة بميثاقه وتحترم سيادة الدول الأخرى ولا تتدخل في شؤونها الداخلية كما تقوم بواجباتها في محاربة الإرهاب والتطرف".

قطر تعرب عن أسفها لقرارات الجميع عــدا ""المستهدفة مصــر""

Muslim Brotherhood

Qatar has long faced criticism from its Arab neighbors over its support of Islamists. The chief worry among them is the Muslim Brotherhood, a Sunni Islamist political group outlawed by Egypta, Saudi Arabia and the UAE.

Gulf countries led by Saudi Arabia fell out with Qatar over its backing of former Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi, a Brotherhood member.

In March 2014, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain recalled their ambassadors from Qatar over the rift.

Eight months later, they returned their ambassadors as Qatar forced some Brotherhood members to leave the country and quieted others. However, the 2014 crisis did not see a land and sea blockade as threatened now.

In the time since, Qatar repeatedly and strongly denied it funds extremist groups.

However, it remains a key financial patron of the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip and has been the home of exiled Hamas official Khaled Mashaal since 2012.

Western officials also have accused Qatar of allowing or even encouraging funding of Sunni extremists like al-Qaida's branch in Syria, once known as the Nusra Front.

The crisis also comes after US President Donald Trump's recent visit to Saudi Arabia for a summit with Arab leaders.

At that Saudi conference, Trump met with Qatar's ruling emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani.

"We are friends, we've been friends now for a long time, haven't we?" Trump asked at the meeting. "Our relationship is extremely good."

وأضاف البيان: "من الواضح أن الحملة الإعلامية فشلت في اقناع الرأي العام في المنطقة وفي دول الخليج بشكل خاص وهذا ما يفسر التصعيد المتواصل".

وتابعت الوزارة في بيانها: "إن اختلاق أسباب لاتخاذ إجراءات ضد دولة شقيقة في مجلس التعاون لهو دليل ساطع على عدم وجود مبررات شرعية لهذه الإجراءات التي اتخذت بالتنسيق مع مصر والهدف منها واضح وهو فرض الوصاية على الدولة وهذا بحد ذاته انتهاك لسيادتها كدولة وهو أمر مرفوض قطعيا".

'No agreement' as Yemen peace talks end in Geneva

Yemen's Foreign Minister Riad Yassin, right, and Yemen's Minister of Human Rights Ezzedine Al-Asbahi, left, attend the Geneva Consultations on Yemen peace talks between Yemen's warring factions, at the European headquarters of the United Nations, UN, in Geneva, Switzerland, Monday, June 15, 2015

Yemen peace talks ended in Geneva on Friday with no agreement, but the United Nations said it was still optimistic a ceasefire could be reached "pretty soon."

"I won't beat around the bush. There was no kind of agreement reached," said the UN's special envoy for Yemen, Mauritanian diplomat Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed.

But he hailed "certain positive signs" in his negotiations with the warring factions, adding that both sides seemed to agree on the need for a ceasefire.

"We feel that it requires simply some further consultations and that we can achieve it pretty soon," said Ould Cheikh Ahmed, who will now head to New York to brief UN chief Ban Ki-moon and the Security Council on the discussions, before heading to the region to push forward with new peace efforts.

No date has yet been set for a fresh round of talks, but the UN envoy said he hoped a desperately needed humanitarian pause in the fighting could be put in place before future talks are held.

Yemen has been wracked by conflict between Iran-backed Shia rebels and troops loyal to exiled President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi, who fled to Saudi Arabia in February.

The rebels have overrun much of the Sunni-majority country and, along with their allies among forces loyal to ousted president Ali Abdullah Saleh, have been the target of Saudi-led air strikes since March.

More than 2,600 people have been killed since then.

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon launched the high-stakes Geneva negotiations on Monday with an appeal for a two-week humanitarian truce during the holy Muslim month of Ramadan.

But the belligerents' positions were so far apart that they did even sit down in the same room, forcing Ould Cheikh Ahmed to shuttle between them for separate consultations.

Yemen's exiled foreign minister blamed the lack of progress on the rebel delegation.

"We really came here with a big hope ... but unfortunately the Houthi delegation did not allow us really to reach real progress as we expected," Yassin told reporters.

The government delegation remained optimistic of a peaceful solution for Yemen "under the umbrella of the UN," he added.

A member of the rebel delegation Yehya Doueid meanwhile said the talks had not lasted long enough.

"The necessary time was not provided (by the UN) to allow these talks to end in an agreement," he told .

Ould Cheikh Ahmed however insisted that just getting the two sides to Geneva had been "a great achievement", as he pledged to intensify his push for peace.

"The Geneva consultations are not the end in themselves, but the launch of a long and arduous path" towards finding a peaceful solution, he said.

As the talks wrapped up Friday, the UN launched an appeal for $1.6 billion (1.4 billion euros) to help millions of people in need in the war-ravaged country.

"I am deliberately raising the alarm about the looming humanitarian catastrophe facing Yemen, where over 21 million Yemenis, 80 percent of the countries population, are in need of some form of aid to meet their basic needs or protect their basic rights today," the UN's new humanitarian chief Stephen O'Brian told reporters.

"These numbers are difficult to comprehend," he said, but insisted " we must not grow numb to the suffering of each and every individual who lies behind them."

Friday's funding appeal will cover aid, including food, water and shelter, to 11.7 million of the most vulnerable people in need through the end of the year.

The appeal was revised up from a combined $1.02 billion (0.9 billion euros) requested in December and April for Yemen.

O'Brian described a nightmare situation in the impoverished country.

"People across the country are struggling to feed themselves and their families and basic services are collapsing in all regions of the country," he warned, pointing out that millions of families have no access to clean water, proper sanitation or health care.

Only about $200 million of the needed cash has so far been received, the UN said.

New #Saudi-led air strikes hit #Yemen rebels

People inspect the site of an air strike in Yemen's north western city of Saada April 22, 2015

Saudi-led coalition warplanes struck several Yemeni rebel positions in fresh raids overnight, witnesses said Thursday, two days after the alliance announced an end to its month-long aerial campaign.

The raids hit rebel positions close to the capital Sanaa, around the third city Taez, and in the central town of Yarim, the witnesses said.

Residents said strikes were also carried out in the southern province of Lahj as well as around the approach to the main southern city of Aden, where clashes between rebels and fighters loyal to exiled President Abd-Rabbou Mansour Hadi raged overnight.

Riyadh said Tuesday the coalition had halted its month-long campaign against anti-Hadi forces after eliminating the threat posed to Saudi Arabia and its neighbours by the rebels' air and missile capabilities.

But it vowed to carry out targeted strikes on the rebels when necessary.

On Wednesday it launched new raids on Shia Houthi rebels who overran a major base of pro-Hadi troops in Taez, where further strikes were reported overnight.

Northeast of Sanaa, raids targeted positions held by the Houthis and rebel troops loyal to former president Ali Abdullah Saleh.

And in Yarim, warplanes hit an old university building used as a headquarters by the rebels, according to residents.

The Houthis and their allies remain in control of Sanaa and swathes of the country while Hadi has taken refuge in Riyadh.

BREAKING: Saudi Arabia announces operation Decisive Storm in Yemen is over - انتهاء "عاصفة الحزم"

السعودية تعلن انتهاء عمليات «عاصفة الحزم» بناء على طلب الرئيس هادي

أعلنت دول التحالف العربي انتهاء "عاصفة الحزم".

أصدرت وزارة الدفاع السعودية بياناً، اليوم الثلاثاء، بشأن عمليات عاصفة الحزم. إذ أكدت من خلاله أنه تم إزالة أي تهديد للسعودية وحدودها من الميليشيات الحوثية وميليشيات الرئيس المخلوع علي عبد الله صالح، في الوقت الذي أعلنت فيه قيادة التحالف اليوم انتهاء عمليات عاصفة الحزم بعدما حققت أهدافها، وبدء عمليات إعادة الأمل التي ستكون وفق قرار مجلس الأمن، وسرعة استئناف العملية السياسية في اليمن.

Saudi-led coalition spokesman Brigadier General Ahmed al-Assiri

The Saudi-led military operation in Yemen is over after achieving its goals and a new political operation has begun according to the UN Security Council resolution, according to the Saudi defence ministry.

وأكدت وزارة الدفاع أن الطلعات الجوية أزالت أي تهديد ضد السعودية ودول الجوار، وتدمير الصواريخ البالستية التي استولت عليها الميليشيات.

وقال البيان "تعلن وزارة الدفاع بالمملكة العربية السعودية أنه على إثر انطلاق عملية (عاصفة الحزم) والتي شاركت فيها القوات المسلحة السعودية بكل كفاءة واقتدار وأدت ولله الحمد إلى فرض السيطرة الجوية لمنع أي اعتداء ضد (المملكة) ودول المنطقة،  فقد تمكنت - بفضل الله - الطلعات الجوية التي شارك فيها صقورنا البواسل مع أشقائهم في دول التحالف بنجاح من إزالة التهديد على أمن المملكة العربية السعودية والدول المجاورة من خلال تدمير الأسلحة الثقيلة والصواريخ البالستية التي استولت عليها الميليشيات الحوثية والقوات الموالية لـ(علي عبدالله صالح)، من قواعد ومعسكرات الجيش اليمني".

Al-#Qaeda captures major airport in southern #Yemen

Al-Qaeda militants man a checkpoint at the entrance of the southern Yemeni city of Zinjibar

Military officials and residents say al-Qaeda has taken control of a major airport in southern Yemen after briefly clashing with troops.

The officials say al-Qaeda fighters clashed Thursday with members of the infantry brigade in charge of protecting the Riyan airport in the city of Mukalla, a major port city and the provincial capital of Yemen's largest province, Hadramawt.

Al-Qaeda overran the city itself earlier this month and freed inmates, including a militant commander, from its prison.

Nasser Baqazouz, an activist in the city, said the troops guarding the airport put up little resistance.

Al-Qaeda's powerful local branch has exploited the chaos in Yemen, where Shia rebels and military units loyal to a former president captured the capital in September and have been advancing despite a three-week Saudi-led air campaign.

Breaking : #US warns Iran on support for #Yemen's #Houthis

US Secretary of State John Kerry walks outside the hotel during a break after a bilateral meeting with Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif in Lausanne, Switzerland, Thursday March 26, 2015

Washington warned Thursday it would not "stand by" while Iran supports rebels in Yemen, where a Saudi-led coalition pounded anti-government forces at the start of a third week of bombings.

In the most direct US criticism yet of Tehran's backing of the Shia Houthi rebels, Secretary of State John Kerry said Washington would not accept foreign interference in Yemen.

"There have been -- there are, obviously -- flights coming from Iran. Every single week there are flights from Iran and we've traced it and know this," Kerry told PBS television in an interview.

"Iran needs to recognise that the United States is not going to stand by while the region is destabilised or while people engage in overt warfare across lines, international boundaries in other countries."

The United States has backed the Saudi-led campaign, which launched air strikes last month as the rebels advanced on Yemen's main southern city of Aden after seizing the capital Sanaa.

President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi fled Aden for Saudi Arabia during the Houthi advance and the city has since seen heavy clashes between pro- and anti-government forces.

Riyadh has accused Tehran, the major Shia power, of backing the rebels in a bid to establish a pro-Iran state on its doorstep.

But Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammed Javad Zarif insisted his government wanted a swift end to the fighting, which has cost more than 640 lives since March 19, according to the World Health Organization.

Kerry, fresh from world powers striking a framework agreement with Iran on its nuclear programme, said Washington was not looking for confrontation with Tehran.

"But we're not going to step away from our alliances and our friendships and the need to stand with those who feel threatened as a consequence of the choices that Iran might be making."

In another sign of growing US support for the Saudi effort, the Pentagon said it had started daily aerial refuelling for warplanes in the coalition.

The first refuelling flight took place on Tuesday night with a US Air Force KC-135 Stratotanker providing fuel for a F-15 fighter jet operated by Saudi Arabia and an F-16 flown by the United Arab Emirates, spokesman Colonel Steven Warren told reporters.

"We will have a tanker sortie every day," Warren said, adding that all flights will be outside of Yemeni air space.

The air strikes killed at least 14 rebel fighters in Aden overnight Thursday at positions near the northern edge of the city, a source in pro-government forces told .

Air strikes also hit a military camp in the southern Shabwa province that was seized by the Houthis' main allies -- security forces who have remained loyal to former strongman Ali Abdullah Saleh, a local official said.

The official had no information on casualties among the forces loyal to Saleh, who has been accused of joining with the Houthis after being ousted from power in 2012 after an Arab Spring-inspired uprising.

Yemen has been wracked by conflict since Saleh's ouster, with Hadi unable to assert government authority in a deeply tribal country riven by divisions.

As well as the Houthis, who hail from Yemen's north, the government has struggled against Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), considered the most dangerous of the jihadist network's branches.

Authorities in Yemen had for years allowed Washington to carry out a drone war against AQAP but US forces pulled out of the country amid the latest unrest.

Al-Qaeda has taken advantage of the chaos to seize control of some areas and carried out a series of deadly attacks on both government forces and the Houthis.

As the fighting and air campaign drag on, concern has been growing for what aid workers say is a mounting humanitarian crisis.

Some aid trickled in to Aden by ship on Wednesday but efforts by the International Committee of the Red Cross to organize flights of cargo planes into Sanaa have so far failed.

In Aden, witnesses have said the situation is dire, with bodies lying in the streets and mosques calling through loudspeakers for help.

Diplomatic efforts have stepped up to resolve the conflict, with the Iranian and Pakistani foreign ministers pledging at talks in Islamabad on Wednesday to work to find a negotiated solution.

Zarif laid out a four-stage plan for talks, calling for an immediate ceasefire followed by humanitarian assistance, dialogue among Yemenis and the formation of an "all-inclusive government".

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan was also quoted Thursday as calling for a regional effort to end the fighting.

"The groups in Yemen should meet and work on possible solution. Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Iran should be involved in efforts for a diplomatic solution," Erdogan was quoted as saying by Turkish media.