A full-scale assault on the strategic Yemen port of Hodeidah by a Saudi-led coalition has been forestalled by discussions about the possibility of a wider ceasefire. This includes handing over the port to the UN for supervision, the UN envoy for Yemen, Martin Griffiths, has said.

He was speaking for the first time about his private efforts to mediate an end to the conflict around the port, which has the potential to lead to a blockade of the badly-needed aid required to keep Yemen from a drastic shortage of food, water and oil.

The port is held by Iranian-backed Houthi rebels, who also control Yemen’s capital of Sana’a.

The Saudi coalition, including air forces from the United Arab Emirates and local ground troops, have already seized control of Hodeidah airport as a prelude to what the UAE has said is a decisive battle to weaken Houthi control by seizing the port.

However, Griffiths said following talks in Aden and Muscat that the leaders of the main Houthi political movement, known as Ansar Allah, had agreed along with the government that the UN should take a leading role.

He said the UN security council will meet next week to discuss the progress of the talks, adding he hoped wider negotiations about the future of Yemen, the first in two years, could start within a fortnight.

He told UN Radio “the fact there has been so far no major attack on the port or the city of the Hodeidah is something that has been attributed to the talks we have been having with the parties. The Ansar Allah leadership was able to give us, the UN, the offer of having a lead role in managing the port, dependent on an overall ceasefire in the governorate”.

He said this had been accepted by the Saudi coalition, but hinted the coalition was not yet willing to drop its plans for an offensive on the city, as opposed to the port.

Griffiths said further talks were needed to narrow down what is needed to push off any attack on Hodeidah.

“It was clear to me that the issue of Hodeidah is intrinsically tied up with the restart of political negotiations.”

He continued: “Both sides had shown a willingness to come to negotiations, saying such talks were long overdue. The people of Yemen expect this to happen as soon as possible. My principle and overriding responsibility is to bring about negotiations to end this war. The issue of Hodeidah is an incredibly important issue but it is not more important than the issue of an overall political solution.”

He said the main challenge to a political settlement, and a government of national unity, was the continuance of military activity. “War [is] the main spoiler to the process of building peace,” he said, adding that was why the UN has been pressing the Saudi coalition not to press ahead with the attack.

He said: “The other challenge is to make sure that the totality of Yemen is brought back into a state of civil government. It is estimated that there are one million combatants fighting in Yemen in various militia.”

A massive task lay ahead in demobilising and reintegrating such forces, he said.