THE top UN official in Yemen warned on Monday that the Arab world’s poorest country will remain a powder keg for renewed war unless its rival factions work out a new ceasefire deal.

This comes amid concerns that the United States and Britain may deliberately be scuppering peace talks.

In March, China brokered a recognition agreement between Iran and Saudi Arabia, followed quickly by prisoner exchanges in the conflict that has raged between the US and British-backed Saudi coalition and the Iran-backed Houthi rebels since 2015.

But Hans Grundberg, the UN special representative for Yemen, said the situation remains fragile unless a new ceasefire can be agreed. 

“The risk of a flare-up is always there,” he said.

“The situation remains fragile and will remain fragile until we have reached an agreement.”

The war in Yemen began when the Houthis seized the capital of Sanaa in 2014, forcing the government to flee to the south and then into exile in Saudi Arabia. 

The Saudis put together a military coalition in 2015, with the backing of the US, and the conflict soon became a proxy war between Saudi Arabia and Iran.

The Chinese-brokered deal, which restored diplomatic ties between Saudi Arabia and Iran, as well as the invitation of both countries to join the expanding Brics bloc of developing economies, is said to be critical to ensure the fighting does not break out again.

But last week the al-Khabar website reported that British special forces have been deployed to Yemen’s oil-rich eastern Hadhramaut province in a move that can only inflame tensions in the area.

Earlier this month Yemen’s defence minister, Major General Mohammad al-Atifi, said officials were closely monitoring the problems arising from the intervention of the US and Britain and the “disruption” of peace initiatives by the two powers.

He said Washington and London impose their hostile and colonial agendas on the Saudi-led coalition, and are seeking to prolong the Yemen war and the tight blockade of the Arab nation.

“Even though the US and Britain talk about peace in Yemen, in practice, they leave no stone unturned to obstruct any future agreement,” the defence minister said.

But Mr Grunberg said: “There is a unity amongst the international actors on the need for the Yemeni conflict to be resolved.”

Clearly referring to the role played by China, the special representative said the US and their allies were “also” working on the basis that “the UN is the main mediator” in the conflict.