Iran Rejects Accusations of Violating UN Resolutions on Yemen

Iran rejected the statements of a U.S. diplomat at a United Nations Security Council meeting regarding the massive and "unprecedented" military assistance of the Islamic Republic to Houthi rebels in Yemen. Amir Saeed Iravani, Iran's representative to the United Nations, emphasized in letters to Antonio Guterres, the UN Secretary-General, and the current President of the Security Council that Iran has always adhered to the Security Council resolutions regarding Yemen. In this letter, he described the recent remarks by Robert Wood, the U.S. Deputy Ambassador to the United Nations, during the Security Council meeting as containing "false information against the Islamic Republic of Iran" and accused Washington of trying to legitimize its "illegal actions and ongoing military aggressions against the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Yemen" using the Council's platform. Robert Wood stated at the UN Security Council meeting on Monday that if the Council wants to end the civil war in Yemen, it must unanimously "ask Iran to cease its destabilizing actions and emphasize that Iran cannot hide behind the Houthis." He accused Iran of violating UN sanctions by providing advanced weapons, including ballistic and cruise missiles, to the Houthis. He stated, "To emphasize the Security Council's concerns regarding violations of the arms embargo, more actions must be taken to enforce the resolutions and prevent violators of the sanctions." The U.S. has called on Iran to stop sending military weapons to the Houthis. However, Iran's representative at the UN dismissed these remarks as "baseless claims" and stated that Tehran has "explicitly declared its commitment to the relevant Security Council resolutions concerning the situation in Yemen and has not engaged in any activities contrary to these resolutions." Amir Saeed Iravani further stated, "The Islamic Republic of Iran has consistently defended a peaceful resolution to the Yemen crisis through diplomatic channels and emphasizes its commitment to maritime security and freedom of navigation." The Houthis claim that they attack ships that are somehow connected to Israel while passing through the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden to support Palestinians in the Gaza war. The U.S. Maritime Administration announced in late April that the Houthis had carried out more than 50 attacks on international shipping from November of last year until that time, seized one ship, and sunk another. Houthi attacks have decreased in recent weeks as a result of actions by the U.S.-led international coalition in the Red Sea. U.S. forces have so far conducted multiple strikes against Houthi positions in Yemen and intercepted and destroyed hundreds of their launched drones and missiles.