The Iranian government has begun signaling that it wants to start a new chapter with Saudi Arabia, expressing hope that the holy month of Ramadan could be the beginning of the end of insecurity and instability in the region. However If the Iranian government genuinely wants to mend its relationship with Saudi Arabia, one of the most important steps it could take would be to halt its support for the Yemeni Houthi terror group.
While Yemen does not pose a national security threat to the Islamic Republic, it does to Saudi Arabia, since it shares a border with the Gulf state. Therefore, it follows that the Iranian leaders must admit and take responsibility for their role in the devastating conflict in Yemen. Unfortunately, instead of acknowledging Iran’s destructive role, Khatibzadeh said: “By presenting proposals and initiatives for dialogue and cooperation in the Gulf region, including the Hormuz Peace Endeavor (HOPE), the Islamic Republic of Iran has been a pioneer in the path of amity and regional cooperation.”
There is a plethora of evidence linking the Iranian regime to the war in Yemen. The latest UN annual report revealed that not only are the Houthis receiving weapons from the Iranian regime, but they are also being trained by Iran’s military apparatuses. It stated: “An increasing body of evidence suggests that individuals or entities in the Islamic Republic of Iran supply significant volumes of weapons and components to the Houthis. The Panel is also investigating a group of individuals who travelled to Oman on ‘mercy flights’ in 2015 and onwards to the Islamic Republic of Iran. One later publicly stated that he had received naval training in Bandar Abbas and went on to facilitate maritime smuggling for the Houthis.” Iranian weapons shipments bound for war-torn Yemen have also been frequently seized.
Iran’s weapons are being deployed for offensive purposes by the Yemeni Houthi rebels. For example, just last month, Houthi forces launched a drone at a military airbase in the southern Saudi Arabian city of Khamis Mushait. And last week they used missiles and drones to attack Najran and King Khalid military base. The Houthis reportedly launched more than 40 drones and missiles at Saudi Arabia in February alone. Previously, the Houthi rebels also claimed responsibility for the 2019 attacks on two Aramco plants at the heart of the Kingdom’s oil industry — the world’s biggest oil processing facility at Abqaiq near Dammam and the country’s second-largest oilfield at Khurais.
Read the complete article at: Arab News
Also read: What is Iran’s goal in the Jerusalem crisis?