OPINION: Iran’s Role in Yemen: US, EU Go Wobbly
OPINION Iran’s Role in Yemen: US, EU Go Wobbly
by Majid Rafizadeh Gatestone Institute Printed with Permission
More evidence is emerging, including a recent report by the United Nations, showing that that the Iranian regime is delivering sophisticated weapons to the Houthi militia group in Yemen. The Houthi group was designated as a terrorist organization by the previous US administration.Where are the European Union and the Biden administration on this issue?
The Biden administration has suspended some of the terrorism sanctions that the previous administration imposed on the Houthis, and the Biden administration is reviewing the Houthis file to possibly remove it from the terrorist list. Secretary of State Antony Blinken stated that he has “deep concern about the designation” of the Houthis as a terrorist organization. The EU and Biden administration also appear to be busy charting ways to return to the nuclear deal — which Iran never signed and which enables Iran ultimately to possess nuclear weapons — and lift sanctions against the theocratic regime.
The UN annual report also revealed that not only are the Houthis receiving weapons from the Iranian regime, they are also being trained by Iran’s military apparatuses:”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.”The Tehran regime even delivers weapons to the Yemeni ports, according to the UN report:”
The Panel documented several supply routes to the Houthis involving traditional vessels (dhows) in the Arabian Sea. Arms and equipment are trans-shipped in Omani and Somali waters to smaller boats, with the cargo being delivered to ports on the south coast of Yemen and smuggled overland to the Houthis or, in some cases, through the Bab-el-Mandab directly to Houthi-held areas. The lack of capacity of the Yemeni Coast Guard and prevailing corruption in areas held by the Government of Yemen are contributing factors that allow smuggling to flourish despite a number of high-profile seizures.
“Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) — designated by the US State Department as a Foreign Terrorist Organization — is a key supporter and sponsor of the Houthis, and has been stepping up its weapons supply to Yemen. The weapons include anti-tank guided missiles, sniper rifles and rocket launchers.The Houthi terror group has been using the Iranian regime’s weapons to advance the mullahs’ interests. Saudi Arabia, Iran’s rival, has been the main target of Iran’s supply of weapons to the Houthis. In one 2017 attack, the Houthi militia targeted Saudi Arabia with four ballistic missiles.
The Houthi rebels also claimed responsibility for the drone attacks on two Saudi Aramco plants at the heart of the Kingdom’s oil industry. The targets were the world’s biggest oil processing facility at Abqaiq near Dammam in the Eastern Province and the country’s second-largest oilfield at Khurais.
The Houthis can grant Iran critical geopolitical leverage because the terror group is now able to fire ballistic missiles into any Gulf country. After the attack on Saudi Arabia’s oil installations, Iran’s major state-owned newspaper, Kayhan, whose editor is a close adviser of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and was appointed by him, had a front-page headline saying: “The Houthis fired a missile into Riyadh. Dubai is next. MORE FROM FIRESTONE HERE
Dr. Majid Rafizadeh is a business strategist and advisor, Harvard-educated scholar, political scientist, board member of Harvard International Review, and president of the International American Council on the Middle East. He hasauthored several books on Islam and US foreign policy.