Washington, DC - Secretary Kerry spoke on Sunday, to both His Royal Highness Deputy Crown Prince Mohammad Bin Salman and Foreign Minister Adel al Jubeir regarding the situation in Yemen. Secretary Kerry reiterated our deep concern about the October 8 attack on the funeral hall in Yemen that resulted in a large number of civilian casualties. He welcomed the Deputy Crown Prince's commitment to launch a thorough and immediate investigation of the strike and urged him to take urgent steps to ensure such an incident does not happen again.

The Secretary also reiterated the need for an immediate cessation of hostilities, and the Deputy Crown Prince stated his desire to institute a renewable 72-hour cessation as soon as possible, provided the Houthis will agree.

The Secretary also noted, as part of the broader de-escalation effort, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia's legitimate request that the Houthis pull back weapons from Saudi Arabia's border and respect its territorial integrity. The Secretary expressed appreciation for the Deputy Crown Prince's support for returning the Houthi/ Saleh negotiating delegation to Sana'a as soon as possible to facilitate the UN-led political process. Secretary Kerry emphasized that the United States will work closely with all parties to establish the cessation of hostilities and revive the political process.