Explosion at the Residence of Iran's Ambassador in Yemen Leaves at Least One Dead

An explosion of a vehicle carrying explosives on Wednesday, December 3, at the residence of Iran's ambassador in Sana'a, the capital of Yemen, left at least one dead. Reuters reported the number of casualties from this incident as three. In response to this incident, the spokesperson for the Iranian Foreign Ministry deemed the attack as not a 'significant issue.' According to Marzieh Afkham, spokesperson for the Islamic Republic's Foreign Ministry, in a report by the Tasnim news agency, this incident is 'not a significant issue' and has not harmed 'Iranian embassy staff.' According to AFP, this massive explosion, which occurred in the highly protected diplomatic neighborhood of Sana'a, created a large hole in the wall of the Islamic Republic's ambassador's residence. Foreign news agencies reported that the Iranian ambassador was likely not present at the location at the time of the incident. AFP quoted an unnamed Yemeni security official stating that one of the guards at the Iranian ambassador's residence was killed in this incident. However, Reuters reported that the casualties from the incident on Wednesday morning were 'Yemeni and Iranian guards.' This is not the first time diplomats and affiliates of the Islamic Republic in Yemen have been targeted in a terrorist attack. One Iranian diplomat in Yemen is still held captive by the country's militias, and an embassy attaché was also killed by militia forces earlier this year. Since September, when the Shiite militia group Houthis or 'Ansar Allah' took power and seized control of the capital, violence in the country has escalated. The Houthis have always been accused of receiving direct support from the Islamic Republic of Iran. In contrast, Iran has consistently denied any interference in Yemen's internal affairs. However, in October of this year, Ali Akbar Velayati, a senior advisor to the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic, confirmed Iran's full support for the Houthis in Yemen and called for this group to play a role similar to that of Hezbollah in Lebanon.