Kerry: Continued Arms Shipments from Iran to Yemen Pose a Threat to the U.S.

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry warned on Thursday that arms shipments from Iran to Yemeni rebels pose a threat to the United States and "cannot continue." In a press conference in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, Kerry stated, "The dangers posed by the shipment of missiles and other advanced weapons by Iran go beyond just a threat to Saudi Arabia and the region. This is a threat to America and cannot continue." At the same time, he announced a new international initiative for peace in Yemen aimed at forming a national unity government and ending the 17-month war in the country. After meeting with foreign ministers from Gulf Cooperation Council countries, a British government minister, and the UN envoy for peace in Yemen, Kerry said, "This war must end, and it must end as soon as possible." He added that the involved parties have agreed on a "new approach to negotiations" between the Yemeni government, supported by Saudi Arabia, and the Iranian-backed rebels. The previous round of negotiations between the two sides failed after three months without any results in August. Kerry stated that the new approach to negotiations will implement both security and political aspects simultaneously to create a basis for a definitive agreement. He noted that all Gulf Arab states have agreed to this plan. According to the U.S. Secretary of State, the details of this plan will be finalized by the parties involved, but the final agreement will generally include "the rapid formation of a national unity government based on power-sharing among various factions." He also mentioned that the final agreement would include "the withdrawal of military forces from Sana'a and other key areas and the handover of heavy weapons, including long-range missiles from the Houthi rebels and their allies to a third party." An Arab coalition led by Saudi Arabia has been conducting attacks against the rebels since March of last year when the Houthis and their allies seized a large portion of Yemen's territory. Under the influence of the rebels' advances, the government of Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi, recognized by the UN and the international community as Yemen's legitimate government, was forced to retreat, eventually fleeing to Saudi Arabia. However, with the help of airstrikes from the Arab military coalition in recent months, forces loyal to the Yemeni government have managed to drive the Houthi rebels out of five areas in the southern part of the country, including Aden. Nevertheless, the rebels still control many areas of Yemen, including the capital, Sana'a. According to UN statistics, since March 2015, more than six thousand people, most of them civilians, have been killed, and over 80 percent of the Yemeni population is in need of humanitarian assistance.