WASHINGTON — The United Nations said today that it would push back plans for Yemen peace talks this month amid an escalation by Saudi- and Emirati-backed fighters toward the vital Red Sea port of Hodeidah, in what appeared to be a setback for recent US and UN calls on the Yemen parties to de-escalate fighting. But US officials said they were not overly concerned about the possible delay.
UN Yemen envoy Martin Griffiths will now seek to get the warring parties to political talks in a third country by the end of the year, a UN spokesman said.