Missiles prove Iran is not after Yemen peace

Houthi missile attacks on Saudi Arabia show that Iran is trying to stop a political resolution to Yemen’s war, the US said, after the rebels launched another strike on the kingdom’s south yesterday.

The White House said the attacks “call into question the Houthis’ commitment to a peace process”.

They also show “that Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps is continuing to disrupt a nascent political process, escalate hostilities, and destabilise the region by proliferating weapons to the Houthis and others”, it said on Friday.

The Houthi missile launched yesterday was aimed at the city of Najran, said Col Turki Al Malki, spokesman for the Saudi-led military coalition supporting Yemen’s government.

“It was intercepted and the debris fell on residential areas, slightly wounding one Indian expatriate,” Col Al Malki said.

The Houthi-run Saba news agency claimed that a ballistic missile was fired at a Saudi National Guard base in the city.

Saudi forces last Sunday intercepted seven Houthi missiles launched toward Saudi cities, including Riyadh, killing one person. Another, fired at Jazan on Thursday, was also brought down, Col Al Malki said.

The coalition said examination of the wreckage showed that the missiles fired on Sunday were supplied by Iran.

Iran denies arming the Houthis but investigations by the UN, the US and a weapons-tracking group have found evidence that points to Tehran.

The UN Security Council on Wednesday condemned the rebels’ missile attacks on Saudi Arabia “in the strongest possible terms”.

Council members called for dialogue to reach a political settlement that would end the war in Yemen.

The UN special envoy for Yemen, Martin Griffiths, held talks with the Houthis in Sanaa last week during his first visit to the rebel-held capital since taking up the post on March 19.

The former British diplomat also held talks with Yemeni President Abdrabu Mansur Hadi in Riyadh.