US Official: Arms and Drug Trafficking from Iran to Yemen Continues

The U.S. Special Envoy for Yemen stated on Thursday that Iran continues to supply weapons and drugs that fuel the conflict in Yemen, despite an agreement to resume diplomatic relations with Saudi Arabia. Timothy Lenderking, the U.S. Special Envoy for Yemen, expressed significant concern during a briefing in Washington, saying, "Iran continues to smuggle arms and drugs to Yemen, and we are very worried that this will continue despite the benefits that arise from the Saudi-Iran agreement." Meanwhile, the Wall Street Journal reported that following the Riyadh-Tehran agreement to normalize relations, the Islamic Republic had agreed to stop secretly sending arms shipments to the Houthis in Yemen. The American newspaper cited several U.S. and Saudi officials, adding that such action could accelerate efforts to end a war that has left tens of thousands dead. Vedant Patel, Deputy Spokesperson for the U.S. State Department, also stated, "If they (the Islamic Republic) have a positive role that can lead to a reduction in tensions, we certainly welcome that." However, the Islamic Republic has been pursuing its agenda of continuing instability in Yemen for years by sending weapons and military technical assistance to the Houthi militants. A year ago, representatives from the UN, the U.S., Oman, and some other regional countries were able to persuade Saudi Arabia and the Houthis to reduce hostilities and establish a relative ceasefire, which has remained in place so far. According to Patel, the past year has been the longest period of minimized conflict and attacks, leading to relative calm, but the Islamic Republic has continued its destabilizing activities in Yemen, including sending weapons to the Houthis. The Wall Street Journal reported on February 14 that U.S. and European officials indicated that the United States might provide thousands of Iranian weapons and over a million rounds of ammunition seized that were intended for the Houthi militants in Yemen to the Ukrainian army. Reporters Without Borders stated that the state of press freedom in Yemen and Syria is better than in Iran. The U.S. claims that any efforts to end the Yemen war are good, even those from Iran. McCarthy in the Israeli parliament stated that the Islamic Republic is a factor of violence and instability in the region. There was a chase off the coast of Yemen; a ship mistook the coast guard for pirates. Benjamin Netanyahu reiterated that Israel is not concerned about the Iran-Saudi relationship.