Yemen missile fired at Saudi Arabia may be Iran-made

UNITED NATIONS, United States: UN experts who traveled to Saudi Arabia to inspect fragments of a missile fired from Yemen last month have found a possible link to an Iranian manufacturer, according to a confidential document seen by AFP on Friday.

Saudi Arabia and the United States have accused Iran of supplying weapons to Yemen’s Huthi rebels who fired a missile intercepted near Riyadh airport on Nov 4.

Weapons supplies to the Huthis would be in violation of a UN arms embargo on Yemen and of a ban on weapons sales by Iran.

The UN panel of experts traveled to Riyadh last month to inspect the components of missiles fired in May, July and more recently on Nov 4 and reported to the Security Council on their findings.

The panel wrote that a component recovered from the impact point of the Nov 4 missile attack was “marked with a logo similar to that of the Sahid Begheri Industrial Group” which is “a subsidiary of the Iranian Aerospace Industries Organisation.” AFP

In a letter sent to Iran on Nov 24, the panel requested information on the individuals and companies to which the Sahid Begheri Industrial Group exported the missile component.

US Ambassador Nikki Haley last month called for international action against Iran over the missile attacks from Yemen against Saudi Arabia, which Riyadh has described as a ‘direct aggression’. — AFP