Reactions from Riyadh and Tehran to Nikki Haley's Statements on Iran's Military Support for Houthis

Saudi Arabia welcomed the statements made by Nikki Haley, the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, regarding Iran's military support for the Shiite Houthi militants. Meanwhile, Iran's Foreign Minister described these statements as a 'show'. On Thursday, December 14, Nikki Haley held a press conference at the Pentagon, accusing Iran of sending missiles and weapons to the Houthis in Yemen, calling this action a violation of UN Security Council resolutions. During the press conference, remnants of a missile were shown to reporters, which, according to Ms. Haley, had been transferred from Saudi Arabia to Washington. The U.S. Ambassador to the UN also emphasized that the world is now witnessing that the JCPOA has not changed Iran's behavior, and Iran continues its 'destabilizing' actions in Yemen, Iraq, Syria, and Lebanon. Meanwhile, reports indicate that Saudi Arabia welcomed Nikki Haley's statements and condemned Iran's actions in supporting the Shiite Houthi militants. Al Arabiya, citing the official Saudi news agency (SPA), wrote: 'The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, in a statement, once again condemned the Iranian regime's support for the aggressive and terrorist actions of the Houthi militants, their coup against the legitimate government in Yemen, the destruction of the country's institutions, the brutal repression of its people, the looting of its wealth including humanitarian aid sent, the theft of oil imports to finance terrorist attacks, the threat to waterways, attacks on Saudi territory, and the launching of ballistic missiles towards populated cities with Iranian support.' Meanwhile, Iran's Foreign Minister described Ms. Haley's remarks as a 'show'. Mohammad Javad Zarif, Iran's Foreign Minister, compared Nikki Haley's press conference to Colin Powell's statements in 2003 at the UN. Zarif wrote on Twitter: 'When I was at the UN, I saw this same show, which was the beginning of what it was... Colin Powell presented 'evidence' of Iraq's weapons of mass destruction at the UN in 2003.' At the same time, Gholamali Khoshroo, Iran's permanent representative to the UN, rejected 'the U.S. ambassador's accusations against Iran', stating: 'The U.S. government has a plan to advance its goals and is constantly trying to divert public opinion with the issues it collects.' Meanwhile, the Associated Press reported yesterday that it had received a copy of the UN Secretary-General's recent report on December 13, which emphasized that the UN is investigating two missile launches from Yemen to Saudi Arabia on July 22 and November 4, and the possibility that Iran supplied these missiles to the Houthi rebels. While the Iranian representative at the UN claims that the country has not sent missiles to Yemen, Mohammad Ali Jafari, the commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, stated on Thursday, December 14, 'We will soon witness Yemen's victory.' The Iranian-backed Shiite Houthis managed to capture Sana'a, the capital of Yemen, in 2014, forcing the government of Mansour Hadi to flee and eventually settle in Aden. The Arab coalition led by Saudi Arabia has been involved in Yemen's civil war since 2015 to prevent the Houthis' advance. The war in Yemen has resulted in at least 10,000 deaths. Meanwhile, UN officials have warned about the humanitarian situation in Yemen, stating that 8.4 million people in the country are on the brink of famine. In this context, Nikki Haley called for global action against Iran.