Iran strongly rejects Yemen arming allegations

EghtesadOnline: In a statement released on Saturday night in response to Saudi claims, Iran’s UN mission has categorically rejected allegations that Iran has been arming Yemeni forces.

News ID: ۷۳۷۰۰۷

18 September 2016

The Permanent Mission of the Islamic Republic of Iran to the United Nations categorically rejects the allegations, as contained in Saudi Arabia’s letter to the President of the UN Security Council, dated 14 September 2016, regarding arms transfers to Yemen and violations of Security Council Resolution 2216, reports ILNA.

“This letter includes unsubstantiated claims that have not been verified by any independent entity. These   claims are raised against the numerous confirmed reports, documenting Saudi Arabia’s war crimes and violation of international law and international humanitarian law. Saudi Arabia has engaged in a year and a half long wide ranging, non-proportionate and irrational war against the people of Yemen, where they have undeniably committed crimes against defenseless women and children. Saudi Arabia has also decimated much of Yemen’s civilian infrastructure and not hesitated to destroy schools and hospitals,” reads the statement.

“It is surprising that Saudi Arabia would complain to the United Nations about the use of weapons in Yemen even while Saudi Arabia itself has purchased tens of billions in arms that it is using against the Yemeni people,” Iran’s mission criticizes Saudi regime and the US administration and asserted that “the Islamic Republic of Iran does not believe in a military solution in Yemen and has always urged for cessation of hostilities, dialogue and resort to legal and peaceful mechanisms to achieve a peaceful resolution to this conflict.”

A recent report has shown that Obama administration has marked the highest amount of arms sale to Saudi Arabia hitting $115 billion. Meanwhile, as 4 US senators are passing a legislation to ban a $1.15 billion arm sales contract to Riyadh, Obama has vowed to veto the act.

That is while Leader of the Islamic Revolution had clarified early in 2012 that “whenever we are involved, we explicitly declare it. We were involved in the anti-Israel events, which resulted in victories in the 33-day and 22-day wars. And from now on, wherever a nation or a group fights and confronts the Zionist regime, we will support and help it, and we are not at all afraid of saying this.”

He had, more recently, also denied interference in Yemen affairs in August 2015 “we will not leave the arena just because they say that we interfered in the affairs of Bahrain and other countries. We did not interfere at all, but we will support them.”