Saudi Coalition Accuses Iran of 'Military Aggression' Following Missile Launch from Yemen

The Saudi-led coalition has accused Iran of 'military aggression' following a missile launch from Yemen towards Riyadh, stating in a statement that this could be considered a 'declaration of war' against Saudi Arabia. The statement released by the coalition on November 6 mentions that 'Iran's role and direct command' of the Houthis during the missile launch is regarded as a clear military aggression aimed at targeting neighboring countries and threatening security and peace in the region and the world. The statement adds that the missile launch could potentially be seen as 'a declaration of war against the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.' Furthermore, the coalition led by Riyadh claims the 'right' of Saudi Arabia to respond to Iran 'at the appropriate time and manner.' Earlier, Colonel Turki al-Maliki, the spokesman for the Saudi-led coalition, stated on November 5 that 'the dangerous escalation of the crisis by the Houthis is due to Iranian support.' According to Reuters, Colonel Maliki mentioned in a press conference that the 'missile launch vehicles' were made in Iran. Prior to this, U.S. President Donald Trump, currently on an Asian trip in Japan, stated, 'I think the launch [of the missile] at Saudi Arabia was influenced by Iran, and our [missile defense] system intercepted it.' The missile launched from Yemen was intercepted by Saudi defenses near Riyadh. Shortly after Trump's remarks, Iran's defense minister denied the Islamic Republic's involvement in the missile attack from Yemen to Saudi Arabia, and the commander of the Revolutionary Guards stated, 'There is no possibility of transferring missiles to Yemen,' asserting that the launched missile belonged to the Ansar Allah group itself. Iran has not yet reacted to the newly released statement. Tehran has never hidden its verbal support for the Yemeni rebels, specifically the group known as 'Ansar Allah,' which includes the Houthis, but denies reports regarding the transfer or shipment of weapons to them. Meanwhile, Houthi militants claim that the ballistic missile launched, named 'Volcano 1,' was 'locally made' in Yemen. According to the Associated Press, the coalition led by Riyadh launched a series of airstrikes on Sana'a following the missile launch, which continued until noon on Sunday. The Arab coalition also announced early on Monday a reward of millions of dollars for dozens of Houthi officials and figures. The coalition's list includes Abdul-Malik al-Houthi at the top with a reward of $30 million; others like Saleh Ali al-Sammad, a senior Houthi official in Sana'a, and Mohammad Ali Abdulkarim al-Houthi, head of the 'Supreme Revolutionary Committee of Yemen,' each have a $20 million reward. The list published by the Saudi state television, Al Arabiya, includes 40 names and a total reward of $400 million. The battles in Yemen began after the Houthis and supporters of Ali Abdullah Saleh, the former president of Yemen, revolted against Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi, the president of Yemen recognized by the UN as the head of the government. Following this revolt, Hadi fled to Aden and then to Saudi Arabia. Riyadh formed a coalition to restore power to him and entered the battles in Yemen. Since then, at least ten thousand people have been killed, and hundreds of thousands have been displaced. Control of Yemen is divided between the Houthis and their allies in Sana'a and northern regions, and Hadi's supporters and his government in Aden and southern areas. Human rights organizations state that civilian deaths in the battles in Yemen during airstrikes by the Saudi-led coalition and counterattacks by the Houthis and their allies on one side and their opponents on the other provide evidence of 'war crimes.' These organizations also call for pressure on the warring parties to end the recruitment of Houthis from among children and for arms restrictions against Saudi Arabia to end the attacks. The United Nations has also stated in a recent report that both the Houthi rebels and the Saudi-led coalition are responsible for civilian casualties, including hundreds of children, and the destruction of hospitals and schools. This international body says it is working to find a 'comprehensive solution' to end the Yemen crisis. Negotiations to end the battles have so far yielded no results. Saudi Arabia claims that Iran is the 'main obstacle' to peace in Yemen. Iran calls these accusations 'ridiculous' and 'baseless.' The coalition led by Riyadh includes, in addition to Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Kuwait, Egypt, Jordan, Morocco, Senegal, and Sudan.