Houthi and Saleh militias also condemned for constant threat to stability of region
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia lambasted Iran here on Sunday for their proxy war in Yemen, and charged the Tehran regime for supplying weapons to Houthi militants as well as to the forces loyal to former Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh.
Adel Al-Jubeir, foreign minister, also deplored the humanitarian situation on the ground, saying that the Houthis have so far attacked 600 aid shipments and 65 vessels carrying relief supplies.
In his opening remarks at the meeting of foreign ministers and military chiefs of Saudi-led coalition countries, Al-Jubeir said: “Iran has been hampering all efforts to find a peaceful solution to the Yemen conflict, which has led to the failure of all political talks between the legitimate Yemeni government and the militants.”
The meeting comes a week after US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson held talks with Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) officials, which largely focused on Iran’s role across the region.
The six-hour meeting, chaired by Al-Jubeir, discussed ways to enhance coordination of all political, military and humanitarian operations in that strife-torn country. The meeting called for intensified efforts to ensure that the legitimate Yemeni government should extend authority over the whole territory to Yemen.
Referring to the deplorable condition of Yemen and the need for more humanitarian assistance, Al-Jubeir said “the Houthi militants or those loyal to former President Saleh will fail to operate if Iran, the largest sponsor of terrorism, stops extending its support.” While Iran does not hide its support for the rebels’ cause, it has consistently denied smuggling arms to the Houthis despite confiscation of a huge cache of Iranian arms and ammunitions in the past in Yemen.
He strongly spoke against the militants in Yemen, who do not “care about the sufferings of starving Yemeni people.” Al-Jubeir reiterated that “the militants also tried to attack the holy city of Makkah, provoking the sentiments and anger of the Muslim world.”
Al-Jubeir added: “When we talk about Yemen and our alliance to support the legitimate (government), we have to remember the war of the Houthi and Saleh militias on the stability of the country, the crimes they have committed against the Yemeni people, their offensive on Yemen’s neighboring countries including Saudi Arabia and the UAE, and their continuous threats against the stability of the region.”
Addressing the meeting, Saudi Chief of Staff Gen. Abdel Rahman bin Saleh Al-Banyan, said: “Yemeni forces had regained control of 85 percent of the country and had taken all precautions to protect civilians in conformity with the international humanitarian laws.” Al-Banyan said that “there is a need to further “boost efforts” and “join hands” to find solution to the Yemen conflict.
“This sectarian conflict has been intensified and supported by Iran, which is responsible for toppling the legitimate Yemeni government,” said Yemeni Foreign Minister Abdulmalik Al-Mekhlafi, while thanking Saudi-led coalition partners for their extensive and timely support. Al-Mekhlafi said that “the Houthis are a threat to Gulf states as well as to the region as a whole.”