UNITED NATIONS, March 22. /TASS/. Heightening antagonism between the governmental forces and rebels in Yemen undermines prospects of peace settlement of the crisis and pushes the country towards an abyss of a civil war, Jamal Benomar, Special Adviser to the United Nations Secretary-General on Yemen, said on Sunday at an extraordinary meeting of the Security Council.

He said talks between the Yemeni government and Houthi rebels, who have taken control over large part of the country, were badly needed to keep the country from slipping to the Iraqi-Libyan-Syrian scenario. Peace dialogue is the only way, he stressed.

In his words, political settlement in Yemen must be based on a compromise and reckon with demands of all parties.