Restoring hope and legitimacy in Yemen

MARCH 26 marked two years since Operation Decisive Storm was launched to restore legitimacy in Yemen. The country’s legitimacy had been hijacked by a minority militia that is an Iranian arm in the region.

Iranian meddling has increased daily for decades, with the aim of controlling the whole region. Tehran has used militias to interfere in the affairs of such Arab countries as Iraq, Syria, Yemen and Lebanon. Sectarianism and weaponssmuggling have been used to empower militias in order to overthrow governments and organize coups.

Where are the Arabs? Are they so weak as to be overthrown so easily in four countries? To answer this question, we must remember what happened in Iraq after it was invaded by the US. That gave Iran the power to be in Iraq building huge militias. Without that invasion, Iran would not be in Iraq. The same thing happened in Syria and the building of militias, unfortunately under cover of Russia, which is backing Bashar Assad.

Saudi Arabia realized the danger that would take Yemen away with no hope of return, and that would then happen to other Arab countries. The Kingdom thus formed the Arab Coalition to stop the loss of its fellow Arab countries. The Saudi-led campaign opposing Iranian expansion is called Operation Restore Hope, since it represents the restoration of Arab hope and Arab countries.

There has been great military progress on the ground in Yemen, which means more areas for the legitimate government and imposing recognized international controls. The solution lies in UN Security Council Resolution 2216, which asks the Houthis to hand over stolen arms, withdraw from Yemeni cities and accept political control by the legitimate government.

Again, Saudi Arabia is offering to cooperate with the international community in order to bring peace and security to the region. That will require cooperation from all sides, which will put an end to Iranian intervention in the region. The solution must also correct the situation that allowed Iran to easily enter Iraq and Syria.

Saudi Arabia, unlike Iran, has no ambition to control the world or the region, nor to export a revolution using sectarian methods. Only looking to stabilize the region and working together against terrorism, the Kingdom stands solidly against breeding grounds for Iranian mischief that undermines leaders and produces conflicts within countries. Dr. Hamdan Al-Shehri is a political analyst and international relations scholar.