UAE Summons Iranian Chargé d'Affaires; Protests Against 'Arming' Houthi Militants in Yemen

A week after the United Arab Emirates Air Force claimed to have shot down an 'Iranian-made' drone in Yemen, the country's Ministry of Foreign Affairs summoned the Iranian chargé d'affaires and protested against the actions of the Islamic Republic. The UAE's official news agency, WAM, reported on Thursday, February 3, that Abdul Rahim Al-Owaidi, the Deputy Foreign Minister, summoned the Iranian chargé d'affaires in Abu Dhabi and delivered a note of protest regarding the Islamic Republic's 'illegal arming of the Ansar Allah movement.' The UAE Deputy Foreign Minister also accused Iran of violating binding UN Security Council resolutions regarding the prohibition of such actions and infringing upon Yemen's sovereignty, stating that these actions 'would exacerbate the conflict in the country.' He emphasized that 'the dispatch of drones by the Islamic Republic' to the Houthi Shiites, one of whom was recently targeted by Arab coalition forces, violates UN Security Council Resolution 2216. The UAE is part of the Arab coalition led by Saudi Arabia that is fighting the Houthi Shiites in Yemen. Last week, the UAE's official news agency announced that its air force had destroyed an Iranian-made drone in Yemen. Previously, some Gulf Arab countries had accused Iran of sending weapons to the Houthi Shiites in Yemen. For instance, on September 16, Saudi Arabia had complained to the UN Security Council, accusing Tehran of 'illegally sending weapons to the Houthi Shiites in Yemen,' violating Resolution 2216. However, on September 18, the Iranian mission to the United Nations rejected this accusation, describing it as 'baseless and unsubstantiated.' Since March 2015, Saudi Arabia has been engaged in a war against the Houthi Shiite rebels, who are supported by Iran, as part of a regional coalition to support the government of Mansour Hadi based in Aden. UN Security Council Resolution 2216 calls on all parties involved in Yemen, especially the Houthis, to 'immediately and unconditionally' cease violence. In this resolution, the government of Mansour Hadi is recognized as the legitimate government of Yemen, and the Houthis are asked to withdraw from areas they have occupied during the conflict. Following the attack on Saudi diplomatic missions in Tehran last year and the severing of diplomatic relations between Riyadh and Tehran, the UAE downgraded its diplomatic relations with Tehran to the level of chargé d'affaires. In this context, the Iranian Foreign Ministry rejected the accusation of 'sending four weapon-laden ships' to Yemen. 11 Arab countries: Iran fuels tension and instability in the region by supporting terrorism. The Kuwaiti Foreign Minister called for 'dialogue' between Iran and the Gulf countries in Tehran. Zarif: Iran and Saudi Arabia should cooperate to end the crisis in Syria and Yemen. The Saudi Foreign Minister: We welcome Trump's policies regarding Iran and ISIS.