Yemeni rebels seek pressure on Saudis as US calls for truce

A leading Yemeni rebel figure says the Trump administration’s calls for a cease-fire in his country are “positive” but urged more international action to stop deadly airstrikes by the rebels’ adversary, the U.S.-backed Saudi-led coalition.

The head of the rebels’ Supreme Revolutionary Committee, Mohamed Ali al-Houthi, called early on Thursday for those urging a cease-fire to “to translate their desire to bring peace in Yemen into action,” and “to stop the bombing of Yemenis immediately.”

His comments were carried on the al-Masirah network, controlled by Yemen’s Shiite rebels, known as Houthis.

The comments come after the Trump administration demanded a cease-fire and the launch of U.N.-led political talks to end the Saudi-Iran proxy war. U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis called for a halt to hostilities within 30 days.