Tehran using Yemen rebels ‘as one of the cards they have’, Ahmed Awad bin Mubarak tells The National
\nThe refusal by Yemen\u2019s Houthi rebels to renew a nationwide truce last month was linked to Iran\u2019s internal turmoil, Foreign Minister Ahmed Awad bin Mubarak told The National on Sunday.<\/p>\n
The Iran-backed rebels rejected efforts by the UN’s special envoy for Yemen, Hans Grundberg, to extend the ceasefire with the internationally-recognised government for a further six months before it expired in early October. Mr Grundberg had also proposed broadening the scope of the agreement.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe cannot understand the Houthi stance towards the truce without the link to Iran\u2019s internal affairs,\u201d Mr bin Mubarak said on the sidelines of the Manama Dialogue in Bahrain.<\/p>\n
Iran has been rocked by nationwide anti-government protests since mid-September that show no signs of ending despite a bloody crackdown.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo the Iranians are trying to use the Houthis as one of the cards they have and this is one of the main reasons why the Houthis are taking such a difficult position,\u201d the foreign minister said.
\nHe said the Yemeni government was expecting the rebels to agree to a renewal of the UN-brokered truce that began on April 2 and was extended twice for two-month periods.<\/p>\n
\u201cFor me, Iran will never lose the cards of its militias in all these countries and they will keep using them. The Houthis are one of these cards, and with very little investment they are gaining a lot,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
The Houthis stormed the capital, Sanaa, in 2014, ousting the government and triggering a civil war that has created one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises.<\/p>\n
Tehran has said it supports the Houthis politically but denies sending the group weapons, contrary to evidence found by international investigations.<\/p>\n
Mr bin Mubarak said Yemen was going through a \u201cperiod of no war, no peace\u201d and that the rebels had started to target the government\u2019s economic resources, mainly oil vessels and facilities.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is a really serious escalation by the Houthis. The consequences of such attacks will impact the Yemeni people negatively,\u201d he said. \u201cNow everyone is watching and waiting.\u201d<\/p>\n
He said there was no \u201cserious work\u201d to exert pressure on the Houthis and on Iran.<\/p>\n
The minister said the Houthis’ actions posed a grave danger to global energy sources and international shipping lanes.
\n\u201cEstablishing peace in Yemen is a basic guarantee for navigation and the security of the region,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
The government is trying to obtain peace as fast as possible because \u201cYemenis have had enough suffering\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cDespite all that the Houthis did, we are still inviting them to be a part of Yemen\u2019s future, but they just need to respect one constitutional principle which is that all Yemenis are equal.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYemenis will not accept that people have hierarchies and also Yemenis will not accept Iran’s imposition in the country,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Iran\u2019s interference is a red line, said the minister, otherwise the government is \u201cready to accept everything\u201d.<\/p>\n
For peace to be achieved, the international community must have a proper understanding about the nature of Yemen\u2019s conflict and they must show their determination, he said.<\/p>\n
The minister called for more investment and funding to help government institutions to serve the public.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe international community must support the Yemeni government by setting them up politically and economically, especially in liberated areas,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cFor the last few years, the international community has dealt with Yemen from a humanitarian perspective, but they are not dealing with the cause of the problem \u2014 this is the Houthi militias,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n