Yemen pounded by third night of Saudi-led airstrikes

Saudi Arabia and its Gulf Arab allies have carried out a third night of airstrikes on rebel-controlled Sanaa, the capital of Yemen, o stem advances by Houthi rebels. Locals reported clashes between the Iran-backed Houthis and tribal fighters in the south of Yemen, while air strikes tried to stop a fresh offensive by the rebels on Aden from the east. In his opening address at an Arab summit in Egypt, the Yemini president Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi directly challenged Iran, blaming it for “destroying” Yemen and creating “a regional crisis.” Former Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh provided a recorded message: “The solution to the problem is peaceful, you cannot resolve it with strikes, which is worsening the tragedy and piling injury on top of injury,” he said. “Your majesties, excellencies and highnesses, I speak with you and place on you complete responsibility for the shedding of any drop of blood after today.” Saudi Arabia’s navy evacuated dozens of diplomats from Yemen on Saturday and the United Nations pulled its international staff.