A justified demand

This is with reference to the report “Hadi govt: Peace plan ‘must disarm Houthis’” (Oct. 26). Yemen’s legitimate government’s insistence on disarming Houthi rebels is justified and is a must for lasting peace in the country.

Disarming Houthis is the only step to ensure they don’t create further trouble in future. In addition to disarming the militia, measures should be taken to prevent Iran from supplying arms and ammunition to the Houthis. Tehran should be threatened with sanctions without which it is not likely to mend its ways. The international community does not appear to be serious in taking action against Iran. Tehran’s involvement in almost every Middle Eastern conflict is no longer a secret. In the case of Yemen, many reports claim that Houthis and many of the group’s leaders received military training in Iran.

Many western powers were quick to criticize the Saudi Arabia-led military coalition that swung into action on the request of the legitimate Yemeni government. Besides, the military intervention came only after all attempts at resolving the issue amicably through dialogue had failed.

Surprisingly, we are yet to hear some strong words of condemnation of Iranian actions in the Arab world. The Iranian role in Iraq has pushed the country to the brink of disintegration. The western policies toward the Middle East only lend credence to the theories about reshaping the region. It was not very long ago when we used to reject those theories as mere conspiracies. All the Arab countries should join hands to counter Iran and stop relying on foreign powers.

Tariq Shamim