UN report finds Iran in violation of Yemen arms embargo

UNITED NATIONS, United States: Iran has violated a UN arms embargo by failing to block supplies to Yemen’s Huthi rebels of ballistic missiles that were fired at Saudi Arabia, a UN panel of experts says, bolstering US and Saudi claims of Tehran’s military involvement in Yemen.

The report seen by AFP does not identify the supplier but makes clear that missile debris inspected by the experts were of Iranian origin.

“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” in 2015, said the report to the Security Council.

“As a result, the panel finds that the Islamic Republic of Iran is in non-compliance with paragraph 14 of resolution 2216” that imposed the ban on arms sales to Yemen, said the 79-page report presented on Tuesday.

Iran has strongly denied arming the Huthis and last month accused US Ambassador Nikki Haley of presenting ‘fabricated’ evidence that a Nov 4 missile fired at Riyadh airport was Iranian-made.

Haley told the Security Council in December that the United States will push for action against Iran over the missile attacks targeting its ally, but Russia quickly signaled that it would not endorse such plans. — AFP