‘Iran achieved in 5 years in Yemen what took 20 years in Lebanon’
▶ Washington warns unilateral action may be required if Iran continues to supply Yemen rebels
A senior US commander has told Congress that Iran has taken five years to achieve in Yemen with the Houthis what it took 20 years to achieve in Lebanon with Hezbollah.
US Central Command chief Gen Joseph Votel told Congress on Monday that Iran had accelerated its arming and support of the Houthi rebels and other proxy forces in the Middle East after the nuclear agreement was signed in July 2015.
“Iran has extended its tentacles across the region through proxies, including Lebanese Hezbollah operating in multiple countries, hardline Iranian-backed Shia Militia Groups in Iraq and Syria, and Iranian support has enabled the Houthis,” Gen Votel told the house armed services committee.
The result, he said, was “prolonging the civil war in Yemen, threatening Saudi Arabia and the UAE, and risking expansion of Yemen’s civil war into a regional conflict”.
Gen Votel accused Tehran of continuing to develop advanced ballistic missiles and handing them to the Houthis. He said this would “enable them to strike US partners and allies” in the Gulf region.
“We go to China Lake to test our weapons systems,” Gen Votel said.
“They go to test their weapons systems in Yemen.”
He called Iran “the major threat to US interests and partnerships”, across the Middle East as it worked “through proxies and friendly political allies in Iraq, Syria, and Lebanon to establish an arc of influence, or ‘Shia Crescent’”.
Russia has repeatedly stopped the Security Council from acting against the barbaric Assad regime in Syria. Today, Russia protected the terrorist-sponsoring regime in Iran NIKKI HALEY US ambassador to the UN
The United States threatened its own action against Iran after Russia vetoed a UN Security Council resolution on Tehran’s failure to stop Yemeni rebels from obtaining its weapons.
“If Russia is going to continue to cover for Iran then the US and our partners need to take action on our own,” said the US ambassador to the UN, Nikki Haley. “If we’re not going to get action on the council then we have to take our actions.”
Russia vetoed the resolution on Monday evening, leading to a weaker text extending an arms embargo on the war-torn country.
It is the second time in recent days that the Russian ambassador has used his position to protect an ally in the Middle East.
A British draft, which made explicit reference to Iran failing to prevent its weapons falling into the hands of Houthi fighters, was vetoed in favour of a Russian draft that made no reference to Iran’s role. It was passed unanimously.
The US led condemnation of the Russian veto.
“Russia has repeatedly stopped the Security Council from acting against the barbaric Assad regime in Syria,” Ms Haley said. “Today, Russia protected the terrorist-sponsoring regime in Iran.
“In spite of a mountain of credible, independent evidence showing Iran violated the Yemen arms embargo, resulting in a series of attacks on civilian targets, Russia prevented accountability and endangered the entire region.”
Iran said yesterday that Russia’s veto of the resolution was another setback for America.
“Based on a one-sided report, they intended to pass a resolution that referred to Iran, but they failed,” said Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister, Abbas Araghchi. “This is yet another failure by the US government to drag Iran to the Security Council.”
Drafting the resolutions led to days of diplomatic haggling.
Even before Monday, the UK had been forced to water down its draft resolution that condemned Iran for breaching the arms embargo on Yemen.
Its final version expressed “particular concern” and simply said Iran had failed to comply with sanctions.
A report by a UN panel of experts on Yemen concluded that Iran had failed to stop missiles and drones it manufactures from falling into the hands of Houthi rebels.
Before the vote, Russian ambassador Vassily Nebenzia said Moscow objected to the “selective and contentious” conclusions of the panel.
“The wording advanced in the British draft is liable to have dangerous, destabilising ramifications, not only for Yemen but the region as a whole,” Mr Nebenzia said. “This will inevitably escalate regional tensions and lead to conflict among key players.”
The UN panel said Tehran had failed to stop the Houthi rebels obtaining Iranian missiles, including one fired hundreds of miles into Saudi Arabia.
The UN said it was also investigating reports that Iranian advisers were working with the Houthis to fight the Saudi-led coalition.
More than 10,000 people have died in fighting in Yemen that began after Houthi rebels took control of the capital, Sanaa.
Millions of people are on the brink of famine and more than 22 million – almost the entire population of Yemen – are in need of aid, humanitarian agencies said.
“The panel has identified missile remnants, related military equipment and military unmanned aerial vehicles that are of Iranian origin and were introduced into Yemen after the imposition of the targeted arms embargo,” the panel said.
“As a result, the panel finds that the Islamic Republic of Iran is in non-compliance in that it failed to take the necessary measures to prevent the direct or indirect supply, sale or transfer, of Borkan-2H short-range ballistic missiles, field storage tanks for liquid bi-propellant oxidiser for missiles and Ababil-T unmanned aerial vehicles, to the then Houthi-Saleh alliance.”
Iran has always denied arming the Houthis and has instead accused the US of faking evidence or has pointed the finger at other nations.
On Monday, it once again denied the allegations and said Western powers were simply trying to shift the blame.
The Yemen vote came soon after days of diplomatic haggling at UN headquarters as Western and Arab officials tried to push through a ceasefire in Syria in the face of Russian opposition.
Facing a possible veto, they softened the wording of a resolution, dropping a requirement that fighting stop within 72 hours.
The diluted veto prompted another round of questions from countries unhappy with it about the UN’s ability to intervene in trouble spots.