Commander of Iran's Ground Forces: Saudi Arabia Should Stop the War

The commander of Iran's Ground Forces referred to the situation in Yemen, stating, "My advice to the Saudi army is to stop the war," adding that Saudi Arabia "must be prepared to receive heavy blows and will suffer a severe defeat if faced with a protracted war." Ahmadreza Pourdastan made these remarks on Sunday, April 30, in an interview with the Arabic-language news network Al-Alam, affiliated with the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting. He further stated, "Another issue is that the Saudi army lacks combat experience and is very fragile," and added, "Saudi Arabia better stop the war and engage politically and through negotiation." The commander of Iran's Ground Forces also mentioned, "The people of Yemen, given their previous military purchases and their capabilities, can inflict heavy blows on Saudi Arabia." Referring to the "defeat" of the forces of Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi, the President of Yemen, in battles against the Houthi rebel Shiites, he noted, "The next step is to strike Saudi Arabia, and if explosions occur in Saudi cities and missiles hit the ground, it will certainly be very difficult for Saudi officials to compensate for that." Pourdastan had previously referred to the Saudi army as "rented" on April 23, predicting that the military intervention of this country in Yemen would "certainly fail." Last year, Houthi Shiite rebels overran Sana'a, overthrowing the government of Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi, recognized by the UN as the legitimate president of Yemen. Hadi fled to Aden in February and sought refuge in Saudi Arabia following the advance of the rebels. A coalition of countries led by Saudi Arabia began airstrikes and bombings of Houthi positions on April 6 to stop their advance. In his remarks on Sunday, the commander of Iran's Ground Forces denied reports about Iran sending weapons to the Houthi Shiite rebels, stating, "They themselves know this claim is baseless by monitoring and controlling the roads and seas." Reuters reported on Saturday, April 22, citing anti-Houthi militants in the city of Aden, southern Yemen, about the capture of two members of Iran's Quds Force. However, a "well-informed source in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs" of Iran denied this news, stating that "no Iranian military forces are present in Yemen." On Sunday, Pourdastan also commented on the possibility of conflict between Iran and Saudi forces on the Yemeni coast, saying, "The Islamic Republic of Iran is not interested in conflict with Saudi Arabia because it is our friend and ally; the Saudi military attaché is in our country, and we invited him to participate in the Army Ground Forces Day." These statements from the Iranian army commander come as Hossein Salami, deputy commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, stated on Thursday, April 27, in response to a similar question, "We have long been aware that we may face security challenges and threats from major powers... Therefore, our defense system is prepared to handle such challenges." According to Tasnim News Agency, the deputy commander of the IRGC also called Saudi Arabia's military intervention in Yemen a "strategic ignorance" on April 29, accusing the country of seeking "hegemony in the Arab world" and attempting to "colonize" Yemen. Salami added, "If the goals and dreams of the Saudis for geopolitical expansion are realized and they dominate the Arabs, they will undoubtedly turn to other neighbors as well." Iranian officials, who are themselves accused of supporting the Houthis in Yemen, have repeatedly protested against Saudi military intervention in Yemen and predicted that these actions would fail. Mohammad Javad Zarif, Iran's Foreign Minister, presented a four-phase peace plan for establishing peace in Yemen on Tuesday, April 25. Zarif's plan includes a ceasefire, humanitarian aid, dialogue among Yemeni groups, and the formation of an inclusive government to end the conflicts. Meanwhile, Ali Larijani, the Speaker of the Iranian Parliament, on Sunday referred to Iran's four-point plan, stating, "It is necessary for Yemeni parties to resolve their disputes through national dialogue; therefore, Saudi Arabia should take advantage of this opportunity before it gets further trapped in infamy and defeat." A day before Larijani's remarks, the Yemeni government rejected Iran's four-phase proposal to end the conflicts in the country. According to IRNA, Larijani also stated in the public session of the Parliament on Sunday, "If the Saudi government claims to be Islamic, it must understand that this path of warmongering it has chosen will bring nothing but the curse of God and His servants to their record." He addressed the Saudis, saying, "You know that with this warmongering, you will not achieve your trivial goals. Rather, your dignity and status among Muslims will be further tarnished." Mohammad Mohammadi Golpayegani, the head of the office of the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic, on Sunday regarding the conflicts in Yemen said, "Hezbollah Lebanon does not have tanks and planes, but in 33 days, they managed to bring the fully armed Israeli army to its knees; Saudi Arabia is not stronger than Israel." According to Fars News Agency, he added during a seminar, "We used to feel that Saudi foreign policy was mature and dignified, but today, irreligious, decadent people with their boundless wealth do whatever they want and whatever their big master, America, wants." The head of Ali Khamenei's office added, "The House of Saud, its fall has begun." In this context, a gathering of "Basijis" in front of the Saudi embassy called for the immediate cessation of Saudi intervention in Yemen, despite the Foreign Ministry's opposition.