Yemen responds to Tehran: The offer of mediation does not absolve it of responsibility for arming the Houthis

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Today, Saturday, the Yemeni government categorically rejected Iran's attempts to present itself as a "mediator" in the Yemeni crisis, stressing that Tehran's continued arming and support of the terrorist Houthi militia makes it a direct party in the war and not a mediator of dialogue.

The Yemeni Foreign Minister, Afrah Al-Zouba, confirmed that the recent statements issued by the Iranian Foreign Ministry do not obscure Tehran’s responsibility for fueling the coup and prolonging the conflict.

She added, "It would be better for the Iranian regime, instead of offering mediation, to remove its hands and weapons from Yemen, respect the sovereignty of countries and adhere to the principles of good neighborliness," according to what was reported by the official Yemeni news agency.

Al-Zuba considered that Tehran’s proposal for “mediation” constitutes a provocation to the Yemeni people and the families of victims of Iranian weapons, noting that it coincides with the ongoing Houthi escalation and attacks on the temporary capital of Aden, the siege of Taiz, and the bombing of residential neighborhoods in Marib, not to mention the threat to international navigation and the launch of attacks on civilian facilities in Saudi Arabia.

She explained that the Houthi militia rejected all regional and international peace efforts - including the road map presented by Saudi Arabia - and took advantage of the opportunities for calm to reorganize its ranks and develop its military arsenal, in light of Iran's efforts to use the Yemeni file as a "negotiating card."

The Yemeni official rejected Tehran's attempts to legitimize the coup militia or grant it the status of "armed forces," stressing that the security of Yemen and its neighborhood will not depend on the assessments of a terrorist group armed by the Revolutionary Guard.

It also renewed Yemen's full solidarity with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and its support for its inherent right to defend its security and its citizens, stressing that the security of the two countries is an indivisible whole, and appreciating the development, economic and relief support that Riyadh provides to Yemen and its people.

The Yemeni Foreign Minister recounted a series of Iranian violations of Yemeni sovereignty and international law, which began with the severing of official relations in 2015, through the handing over of the Yemeni diplomatic headquarters in Tehran to representatives of the militia (November 2019), the smuggling of an officer in the Revolutionary Guard and his installation as an “ambassador” in Sana’a (October 2020), in addition to operating flights to Sana’a airport without the approval of the legitimate government (July). 2026).

Al-Zuba called on the international community to stand firmly in the face of Iranian interference in Yemen, support the legitimate government in restoring state institutions and extending its authority over the entire national territory, and take practical measures to classify the Houthi militia as a terrorist organization, dry up its sources of funding, hold its financiers accountable, and enforce the arms embargo under Security Council Resolutions 2216 and 2624.