The U.S. Displays Evidence of Iran's 'Military Support' for Houthis and Taliban

Brian Hook, the U.S. Special Representative for Iran, accused Iran on Thursday, December 8, of continuing to equip Houthi militants with weapons and providing military support to the Taliban in Afghanistan. During this press conference, a 'Sayyad 2' surface-to-air missile was displayed, which Mr. Hook claimed Iran has provided to Houthi rebels in Yemen to target coalition warplanes led by Saudi Arabia, thereby violating United Nations resolutions. Mr. Hook stated that Saudi forces discovered this missile in Yemen, and the fact that the missile's name is written in Persian indicates that Iran disregards UN resolutions. Anti-tank missiles were also showcased, along with a Fajr artillery rocket, which Mr. Hook said was discovered in Helmand province, Afghanistan, demonstrating Iran's military support for the Taliban. This press conference was reminiscent of an action taken last year by Nikki Haley, the U.S. Ambassador to the UN, aimed at exposing Iran's military support for the Houthis. At that time, Ms. Haley displayed missile remnants that the U.S. claims are made in Iran and that the Houthis have used to target Saudi Arabia, an accusation that Iran has denied. However, Brian Hook stated that since then, Iran's military support for the Houthis has increased, and more terrorist actions are being carried out in various parts of the world. According to him, Iran continues to provide military training to the Houthis and has increased its efforts to send weapons to proxy groups and intervene in the region, despite multiple UN resolutions prohibiting the country from exporting weapons. He warned that Iran's threats are increasing, and if they cannot be stopped, the risk of escalating conflicts and instability in the region will rise. This meeting followed a session on Wednesday in the U.S. Senate with the presence of U.S. Secretaries of State and Defense, part of which was dedicated to the issue of U.S. military support for Saudi Arabia and its allies in the Yemen war. The U.S. Senate subsequently announced its agreement to consider a resolution to end support for Saudi Arabia in the Yemen war, which drew criticism from Mike Pompeo, the U.S. Secretary of State. Mr. Pompeo stated that this resolution would encourage the Houthis and Iranians and would also jeopardize the fragile agreement of the warring parties in Yemen to participate in peace negotiations. Brian Hook also attributed the suffering of the Yemeni people to Iran and, in response to the question of why this military equipment should be displayed at this time, said that the U.S. wants to expose Iran's actions so that the nations of the world can see for themselves that Iran's threats are increasing, and it only takes one missile to hit a target for a war to begin in the region. Mr. Hook further referenced U.S. sanctions against Iran and noted that economic pressure on the Islamic Republic will continue until it changes its policies. He also emphasized that the U.S. has no hesitation in stopping Iran's destructive actions and is even considering military options, although it prefers to use all diplomatic tools first. The U.S. State Department held this meeting as part of Washington's efforts against what it calls Iran's 'destructive activities.' The department had stated a day earlier that evidence of the Iranian government's actions in equipping dangerous groups with advanced weapons and its role in spreading instability in the region would be presented at the meeting.