Kerry said the global response to Yemen’s civil war had fallen short of the region’s needs, and pledged a renewed political and security approach to resume talks.
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It will also include the “withdrawal of forces from Sanaa and other key areas”, and the “transfer of all heavy weapons including ballistic missiles and launchers from the Houthis and forces allied with them to a third party”.
Riyadh heads an Arab coalition that began air raids in March 2015 and later sent in ground forces to support Yemen’s internationally-recognised government after Iran-backed Shiite Huthi rebels and their allies overran much of the country.
The U.N. says about 3,800 civilians have been killed since the Saudis entered the war, and most of the deaths are blamed on Saudi airstrikes.
Kerry’s new peace road came after his meeting this week in Jeddah with foreign ministers of British and Arab Gulf states to end Yemen civil war.
In a statement, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein called for an worldwide investigation into all grave violations, saying a national commission had focused mainly on Houthi violations and had not pursued any of the perpetrators.
Iran on Friday denied USA accusations it has delivered missiles to Yemeni rebels, retorting it was United States support for a Saudi-led coalition backing the government that had prolonged the conflict.
Kerry’s trip comes amid growing pressure on the Obama administration to cut back its support to Saudi Arabia.
He said all participants agreed that a solution to the war must respect the security of Saudi Arabia and provide, “the Houthis, a minority, an opportunity to be part of a government in the future”.
Zarif, speaking from Chile, said Kerry’s remarks show the USA government is “an accomplice in Saudi war crimes against the innocent people of Yemen”.
Kerry’s meeting with King Salman lasted roughly half an hour.
Armed men loyal to the Houthi movement hold their weapons as they gather to protest against a Saudi-led coalition air strike that hit a hospital operated by Medecins Sans Frontieres in northern Yemen, in the capital Sanaa August 16, 2016.
He is also set to meet with Omani Foreign Minister Alawi bin Abdullah before a meeting with other Gulf Cooperation Council foreign ministers from Bahrain, Kuwait and Qatar.
United Nations -sponsored talks to end the 18-months of infighting collapsed earlier this month, when the Iran-allied Houthi began fighting again with the supporters of displaced interim President Abd Rabbu Mansour Hadi.
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“We found shortcomings in two cases while the rest were in line with worldwide humanitarian law”, said the team’s Bahraini spokesman, Mansur Al Mansur.
