Houthi Missile Attacks; 'Actions of Three Permanent Members of the Security Council Against Iran'

Reuters reports that it has seen a draft resolution presented by the United States, France, and the United Kingdom to the Security Council, aimed at condemning the Islamic Republic for transferring Iranian-made missiles to the Houthis in Yemen and further actions to prevent violations of UN resolutions. On February 17, Reuters reported that the draft calls for condemning Tehran for failing to prevent the Houthi rebels in Yemen from obtaining Iranian-made missiles. The three permanent members of the Security Council also called for the extension of Security Council sanctions related to Yemen and the imposition of targeted sanctions 'against any actions related to the use of ballistic missiles in Yemen.' Diplomats have stated that this draft was prepared by the UK in collaboration with the US and France and was presented to Security Council members last Friday. Approval of this resolution requires 9 votes from Security Council members; it is also necessary that none of the permanent members of the council, namely the United States, the UK, France, China, and Russia, oppose it. Reuters reports that Russia has not yet indicated its reaction to the presented draft and whether it will support or oppose it. Voting will take place on February 26. The Trump administration has repeatedly called for international action against what it describes as the 'destabilizing actions' of the Islamic Republic in the region. Herbert McMaster, the US National Security Advisor, on February 17 accused Iran of creating and arming powerful proxy networks in Syria, Yemen, and Iraq that could act against the governments of these countries. On the same day, Nikki Haley, the US ambassador to the UN, wrote in an article in the New York Times, 'Since the formation of the nuclear deal, Iran's support for dangerous militias and terrorist groups has clearly increased. Its missiles and advanced weapons have been transferred to all war-torn areas in the Middle East.' Donald Trump and his administration are critics of the nuclear deal made by Barack Obama's administration, the five global powers, and Tehran, calling for reforms or its dismantling. France and the UK, two permanent members of the Security Council and allies of Washington, support the implementation of the nuclear deal but have aligned with the United States in criticizing Iran's actions in the region and Tehran's missile program. Three years ago, following the Houthi uprising against the government of Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi, the President of Yemen, a coalition led by Saudi Arabia launched attacks to restore Hadi's power. These attacks, alongside the rebels' actions, have faced criticism from human rights defenders. The United States, despite supporting Saudi Arabia, has asked the Riyadh-led coalition not to obstruct humanitarian aid operations for Yemeni civilians. Iran is accused of supporting the Houthi rebels in Yemen. Officials of the Islamic Republic have not hidden their verbal support for the Houthis, and senior military officials have spoken of 'advisory assistance' to this group. Tehran has denied transferring weapons to the Houthis. Nevertheless, the ballistic missile launches by the Houthis into Saudi Arabia in mid-autumn have once again raised concerns about escalating tensions in West Asia. The Saudi-led coalition accused Iran of launching missiles, which Tehran denied. However, the United States and its allies also stated that the launched missile was made in Iran. The US ambassador to the UN, in December, held a press conference at the Pentagon, accusing Iran of sending missiles and weapons to the Houthis and calling for action from the 'global community' against Tehran. At the same time, Iran's mission to the UN rejected Nikki Haley's statements, describing them as 'irresponsible, provocative, and destructive.' A month later, reports emerged indicating that UN experts stated that the Islamic Republic of Iran had violated UN sanctions prohibiting the delivery of weapons to the Houthi forces and their allies. According to the UN report, citing paragraph 14 of Security Council resolution 2216 (prohibiting the direct or indirect supply of weapons to the Houthis and their allies), it emphasized that the Islamic Republic of Iran had violated this paragraph. The report indicated that the Islamic Republic showed no caution in refraining from selling or transferring missiles and drones to the Houthis and supporters of Ali Abdullah Saleh. The sanctions imposed by the Security Council regarding the Yemen war have prohibited the direct or indirect supply of weapons to the Houthis and their allies since April 2015.