Yemen's former president says exiled leader Hadi no longer relevant

A former president of Yemen said on Friday exiled President Abd Rabbu Mansour Hadi no longer had a place in Yemeni politics.

In an interview with Arab television station al Mayadeen, Ali Abdullah Saleh said Hadi's political relevance ended when Houthi militia took over the capital, Sanaa, and Hadi fled.

"His legitimacy ended completely when he fled Sanaa and Aden and now he will flee Riyadh," he said.

Hadi escaped the capital in March, following the takeover in September by the Iranian-backed Houthis. The Houthis have since thrust into central and south Yemen, leading Saudi Arabia to launch a campaign of air strikes against them, in an effort to restore Hadi to power.

Forces loyal to former president Saleh have been fighting alongside the Houthis.

Saleh also said parties who attended talks in Riyadh were treasonous, because they had accepted the Saudi attacks.

"Those who attended the Riyadh conference have condemned themselves ....to never return to Yemen as they have blessed the aggression," Saleh said.

Riyadh hosted talks between Yemeni factions earlier this month that the Houthis boycotted.

Saleh said he had not been invited to take part in talks now taking place in Oman that the Houthis are attending.

"We are the last to know about Oman," he said. "Ansarullah (the Houthis) didn't talk to us about it."

Oman, which borders Yemen, is the only Gulf Arab state among the six that make up the Gulf Co-operation Council not to join the Saudi campaign.

Earlier on Friday, a Houthi spokesman said on his Facebook page that talks in Oman continued and an effort was being made by the Gulf state to resolve the crisis.

Saleh said the talks in Oman were being orchestrated by the U.S. and Iran.

"I am more than sure that the U.S. and Iran want Oman to conduct the mediations between the Houthis and Saudi," he said.

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Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi, Saudi Arabia, Riyadh, Oman, Iran

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