Saudi Arabia Complains to the UN About Iran for 'Arms Smuggling for Yemeni Rebels'

On Thursday, September 25, Saudi Arabia filed a complaint against Iran with the UN Security Council, accusing Tehran of smuggling weapons to Houthi rebels in Yemen. Riyadh claims that this action by Iran violates a UN resolution prohibiting any arms shipments to this group. According to Arab news agencies, Abdullah bin Yahya al-Muallimi, Saudi Arabia's permanent representative to the UN, stated in his letter to Gerard van Bohemen, the president of the Security Council, that the smuggling of Iranian-made weapons to Yemeni rebels fighting against the internationally recognized government poses a threat not only to the stability of Saudi Arabia, Yemen, and the entire region but also violates Security Council Resolution 2216. He added that Saudi Arabia calls on the Security Council to employ all necessary measures and demands that Iran comply with all relevant Security Council resolutions and cease any illegal actions in Yemen. The letter emphasized that discoveries by the naval forces of Australia, France, and the United States have 'demonstrated that a large volume of seized illegal weapons originated from Iran.' The Saudi representative at the UN stated that his country reserves the right to 'employ all appropriate measures to counter the threats posed by the Houthi-Saleh rebels and will spare no effort to protect the security of the Saudi kingdom, Yemen and its people, and the region.' Since March 2015, Saudi Arabia has been engaged in a war against the Shiite Houthi rebels, who are supported by Iran, as part of a regional coalition to support the government of Mansour Abdrabbuh Hadi based in Aden. The Houthis have controlled Sanaa, the capital of Yemen, since September 2014 and dominate large parts of the country. In response to the coalition's attacks, the group has targeted southern cities in Saudi Arabia, including Najran, Jizan, and the Asir region, with 'Zelzal' missiles, which Saudi Arabia claims are Iranian-made. Bahrain's news agency reports that so far, 30 Zelzal ballistic missiles have been launched by the Houthis at the mentioned cities, resulting in hundreds of casualties and damage to infrastructure, including schools and hospitals. Al-Muallimi also referred to a missile launch on August 31 of this year at Najran. Iran and Saudi Arabia have had severe disagreements over many regional issues, especially Yemen and Syria, in recent years, with officials from both countries frequently making statements against each other. On September 11, Adel al-Jubeir, the Saudi foreign minister, accused Iran of sending weapons to the Houthis and smuggling explosives to Bahrain, Kuwait, and Saudi Arabia. He stated that 'Iran, through military intervention and support for the Houthis, is fueling unrest in Yemen.' Bahram Qasemi, the spokesman for Iran's Foreign Ministry, warned Saudi officials in response to these statements to always keep in mind the fate of what he called 'international troublemakers' like Saddam. He, in turn, accused Saudi Arabia of 'arson in the region' and 'involvement in terrorist operations.' The United Nations announced on September 9 that at least 10,000 people have been killed and three million displaced during the 18-month conflict in Yemen. Meanwhile, Saif al-Asali, the former finance minister of Yemen, told the Emirati newspaper 'Gulf News' that the Yemen file should be handed over to the UN because neither the Sanaa government nor the forces outside the capital can end the war. He added, 'You cannot be part of the problem and part of the solution at the same time. A third force is needed to restore stability to Yemen, ensure the security of Saudi Arabia and the rest of the region, while preventing Iranian interference in this country's affairs.' Al-Asali has called on Kuwait to host an international conference to raise funds for Yemen, similar to what happened for Syria. According to him, Yemen needs five billion dollars to prevent famine. Yemen is considered one of the poorest countries in the world in terms of economic development.