UPDATE 1-Saudi Arabia's Jubeir says possible to calm Yemen situation ahead of settlement - Al-Arabiya

Saudi Arabia's Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Adel al-Jubeir said there is a possibility of calming the situation in Yemen as a prelude to reaching a settlement in the four-year conflict, Saudi-owned channel Al-Arabiya cited him as saying on Friday.

Saudi Arabia released at the end of November a group of Yemeni prisoners belonging to the Iran-aligned Houthi group, a step that may support efforts to end a war that has killed tens of thousands and pushed millions to the brink of famine. "There is a possibility to calm down the situation that will be followed by a settlement in Yemen," Jubeir told a conference in Rome, according to Al-Arabiya.

A coalition led by Saudi Arabia intervened in Yemen in March 2015, after the Houthis ousted the internationally-recognized government in Sanaa. The conflict is seen in the region as a proxy war between Saudi Arabia and Iran. The Houthis, who control Sanaa and most big urban centers, say they are fighting a corrupt system.