News – Yemen: Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman, Esmail Baghaei, welcomed the prisoner exchange agreement reached between Yemen and Saudi Arabia under Omani mediation, praising Oman’s pivotal role in facilitating the talks.

He expressed hope that the deal would open the way to resolving all outstanding issues, ensuring peace and stability, and preserving Yemen’s unity.

According to Yemen’s National Committee for Prisoners’ Affairs head, Brig. Gen. Abdulqader Al-Murtadha, the historic, comprehensive deal aims to fully resolve the humanitarian issue, covering prisoners, detainees, missing persons, and bodies from all parties, to be implemented in stages under direct Omani oversight.

The first phase, Al-Murtadha said, represents the largest exchange since the start of the aggression, involving the release of 2,900 detainees: 1,700 from the Yemeni army and popular committees and 1,200 from the opposing side, including seven Saudi and 23 Sudanese prisoners. Implementation will begin once lists are finalized, targeted by the end of January.

The agreement encompasses all parties involved in the aggression, including local factions aligned with the coalition in Marib, the western coast, Taiz, and southern provinces. Saudi Arabia participated as the primary signatory and guarantor for all parties, including those linked to the UAE, and internal political disputes within the coalition will not impede implementation of the deal.

Prisoner exchanges have been among the most sensitive humanitarian tracks in Yemen. Previous rounds, often brokered by Oman and facilitated by the UN and the ICRC, achieved partial releases but left thousands unaccounted for. The latest agreement—if fully implemented—would mark the first attempt to comprehensively resolve the issue by combining exchanges, prison inspections, the release of civilian detainees, and the recovery of remains under international oversight.