Iran admits supporting terrorism in Yemen

Eslam Mohamed

In an Iranian admission of its involvement in terrorist operations in Yemen, Tehran affirmed placing technology for producing missiles and drones at the disposal of the terrorist Houthi militia.

The Iranian Fars News Agency quoted armed forces spokesman Brigadier General Abolfazl Shekarchi as saying on Tuesday, September 22, “The defense technologies for the production of missiles and drones have been put at the disposal of the Yemenis,” referring to Iran’s Houthi allies who carried out a coup against the legitimate government and took control of the capital, Sanaa, in 2014.

Shekarchi talked about Iran’s support to several parties in the region despite the economic crisis that his country is experiencing, saying, “We help any country that stands against the American administration and Israel.”

“We can form an axis from several countries that stand against the axis of countries of global arrogance,” he added.

Allied support

Shekarchi also confirmed that his country supports the Houthis even though they have become advanced in the military industries. He said, “They are now making missiles, and they have also made great progress in the field of electronic warfare. We transferred our military experience and expertise to them, and they learned them.”

The International Coalition to Support Legitimacy in Yemen has always confirmed that the drones launched by the Houthis towards residential areas are Iranian-made, and the US administration has previously confirmed that Iran supports militias in Yemen with missiles and drones.

This comes at a time when Iran is facing a new wave of US sanctions. On Monday, September 21, the administration of President Donald Trump announced imposing new sanctions on the Iranian Defense Ministry and others who have a role in Tehran’s nuclear weapons program. US Special Representative for Iran Elliot Abrams confirmed that Washington “will maintain maximum pressure on Iran to change its destabilizing behavior in the region.”

Iranian acknowledgement is clear

Meanwhile, Yemeni Minister of Information Moammar al-Eryani tweeted that “the announcement by the Iranian army spokesman, Brigadier General Abolfazl Shekarchi, of placing technologies for producing missiles and drones at the disposal of the Houthis and the transfer of experts and advisors to their areas of control is a clear and explicit Iranian admission of managing and supporting the rebellion and the Houthi coup to implement its subversive agenda in Yemen and the region.”

“The Iranian interference in Yemen and the war, triggered by the Houthi coup in which tens of thousands of Yemenis were killed or wounded and which inflicted heavy losses on the Yemeni economy and left the largest human tragedy in the world, is a blatant violation of the principle of national sovereignty, a flagrant violation of international law, and a challenge to the will of the international community,” the minister added.

Eryani called on the international community to take firm measures to ban the Iranian armament and to put an end to the smuggling of arms and the transfer of military technology and experts to the Houthis, considering that these operations impede the political solution, exacerbate human suffering, violate international decisions related to the Yemeni crisis, and constitute a threat to international peace and security.