Washington provides proof of Tehran arming Houthis
KSA demands action against Iran for ‘flagrant violation’ of UN resolutions
JEDDAH: The US envoy to the UN, Nikki Haley, on Thursday unveiled declassified evidence that Iran is violating international law by funneling missiles to Houthi militias in Yemen.
The evidence included segments of missiles launched at Saudi Arabia from Houthi-controlled territory in Yemen. She displayed the missile parts in a hangar at a military base in Washington.
Haley said the parts bear markings showing that they originate in Iran, and have technical specifications that are specific to Iranianmanufactured weapons.
She said it was proof of “blatant violations” of UN Security Council resolutions while the international community was “looking the other way” because of the nuclear deal.
The US will “build a coalition to really push back against Iran and what they’re doing,” Haley told a news conference.
Saudi Arabia welcomed the US stand and demanded immediate action to implement UN Security Council resolutions and hold Iran accountable for its actions, the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported.
“Iran’s support for Houthi terrorist militias constitutes a flagrant violation of UN Security Council Resolutions No. 2216 and No. 2231, and has disrupted the political process and prolonged the crisis in Yemen,” said an official statement.
“Saudi Arabia calls upon the international community to take immediate action to implement the above-mentioned UN Security Council resolutions and to hold the Iranian regime accountable for its aggressive actions,” the statement said. Saudi Arabia reiterated the “need to tighten the UN Verification and Inspection Mechanism (UNVIM) to prevent smuggling (of arms and missiles).”
Pentagon spokeswoman Laura Seal said: “The US has long believed that Iran is providing weaponry to proxies and partners and militias throughout the region, and what we have here to show you today is proof.”
Saudi Arabia and the UAE had recovered the arms and loaned them to Washington, she added.
The unprecedented presentation by the Pentagon is part of its followthrough on President Donald Trump’s new Iran policy, which promises a hard line toward Tehran.
Katie Wheelbarger, principal deputy assistant secretary of defense for international security affairs, said there could be implications of an accumulation of evidence against Iran.
“You could see future sanctions ... but the first step is at least to bring awareness and understanding, and to have a similar picture of what we’re looking at,” Wheelbarger was quoted as saying by The Associated Press.
The Pentagon offered a detailed explanation of all the reasons why it believed the arms came from Iran, noting Iranian corporate logos on arms fragments and the unique nature of the designs of Iranian weaponry.
Earlier in the day, UN SecretaryGeneral Antonio Guterres warned that Iran may be defying a UN call to halt ballistic missile development.
He said in a report to the Security Council that the UN is investigating Iran’s possible transfer of ballistic missiles to Houthi militias in Yemen that may have been used in launches aimed at Saudi Arabia on July 22 and Nov. 4.
The report on the implementation of a UN resolution that endorsed the July 2015 nuclear deal was obtained Wednesday by AP.