Yemen official: Iran plans to control Bab Al-Mandab, not interested in peace efforts

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DUBAI: Iran is not interested in encouraging peaceful solutions in Yemen, according to Muammar Al-Eryani, Yemen’s Minister of Information, Culture, and Tourism.

According to state news outlet Saba, Al-Eryani stated that Iran intends to acquire control of the coastline ranging from the Arabian Sea to the Red Sea in order to control the Bab Al-Mandab waterway.

He went on to say that Tehran’s dictatorship has transformed Yemen into a Houthi-controlled center used to target neighboring countries like Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, as well as commercial ships along the coast.

They have also posed a threat to energy security after the Houthi militia attacked petroleum distribution stations in Saudi Arabia’s Jeddah and Jazan, as well as the UAE’s Al-Mussafah and Al-Dhafra regions in Abu Dhabi, according to Al-Eryani.

He also mentioned that the Houthis had admitted to hijacking the UAE-flagged cargo ship Rawabi, which was traveling off Yemen’s coast.

The coalition to restore Yemen’s legitimacy announced earlier this year that it had destroyed 106 boats equipped with explosives destined for terrorist assaults along the Red Sea and the Bab Al-Mandab Strait, according to Saba.

According to Al-Eryani, the surge in attacks coincided with an increase in Iranian assistance for the Houthi militia in terms of weaponry and military equipment.

He went on to say that in 2021, US Marines intercepted shipments carrying 9,000 weapons, including missiles, en route to the Houthi movement in Yemen.

According to Al-Eryani, the Houthis have increased their attacks with the assistance of “Iranian expertise and Hezbollah.”

Source: Arab News

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