Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi: We Will Free Yemen from Iran's Grip

Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi, the President of Yemen, accused Iran of interfering in Yemen's internal affairs and obstructing peace in the country during the United Nations General Assembly, emphasizing that "we will free Yemen from Iran's grip." According to Reuters, Mr. Hadi stated on Friday, September 23, in front of world leaders: "We must free Yemen from Iran's grip. We must raise the flag of Yemen over every inch of Yemen's precious land and lay the foundation for a legitimate and federal government in Yemen." Tehran supports the Houthi rebels, who have taken control of the capital, Sana'a, during Yemen's civil war, although the Islamic Republic has always denied accusations of supplying arms to the Houthis. Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia has conducted numerous attacks in Yemen since March 2015 by forming a military coalition against the Houthis. Riyadh recognizes Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi's government and supports its establishment in Yemen. Peace negotiations initiated by the United Nations have faced a deadlock since last month, which Mr. Hadi attributes to the Islamic Republic, claiming that Iran supports "extremism" and "sectarian terrorism" in the region. One day before this speech, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani addressed the UN General Assembly, criticizing Saudi Arabia's policies in the region and urging Riyadh to stop bombing its neighbor, Yemen, and "supporting terrorist Takfiri groups." Political relations between Tehran and Riyadh have been severed since last December following the execution of a Shia cleric in Saudi Arabia and the subsequent attack on Saudi diplomatic missions in Iran, during which officials from both countries have made very harsh statements against each other. In this context, demands for increased pressure on Saudi Arabia regarding coalition attacks in Yemen, Iran's representative at the UN rejected Saudi accusations of sending weapons to Yemen, the critical response of the Saudi Foreign Minister to Zarif's note, and the support of the US Senate for a billion-dollar arms sale to Saudi Arabia are notable.