Yemen's warring parties are sending conciliatory signals ahead of UN-backed talks starting on Monday, in a rare sign of mutual willingness to end a year-old conflict that has caused one of the world's worst humanitarian crises.
A deal may help defuse tensions between regional powerhouses Iran and Saudi Arabia, who are allied to opposing sides in Yemen and whose rivalry has helped fuel wars and political struggles across the volatile Middle East.
Air strikes and heavy combat persist in many parts of the country, while armed forces who could yet play a spoiling role loom throughout Yemen's tangled political scene.