First modification:
The US Pentagon has revealed that “Western allies” have seized thousands of Iranian weapons destined for Yemen. For its part, the US headline ‘The Wall Street Journal’ assured that the operation was led by French forces. Iran has denied the accusations, stating that they are politically motivated.
The Pentagon confirmed it, without many details, and ‘The Wall Street Journal’ targeted those responsible. According to the American outlet, French forces have seized a large number of Iranian weapons bound for Yemen. An operation that the country’s authorities had attributed to “Western allies.”
The embargo would have consisted of more than 3,000 assault rifles, 578,000 bullets and 23 anti-tank guided missiles, according to the Central Command of the US Army in a statement.
The agency also ruled that the seizure occurred on January 15 in the Gulf of Oman, and that it was carried out “along routes historically used to illegally traffic arms from Iran to Yemen.”
The Central Command said that the United States had supported the seizure, but did not clarify which allied country had carried out the operation.
“In the last two months alone, we and our partners have prevented more than 5,000 weapons and 1.6 million pieces of ammunition from reaching Yemen,” said Commander Tim Hawkins, spokesman for the US Fifth Fleet. .
Tehran denies the accusations and points to political motivations
The accusations were quickly denied by Iran. This Thursday, officials from that country in the Middle East ruled that they responded to “political motivations” and that they intended to “deceive public opinion.
However, as the US news agency ‘Associated Press’ points out, “images of the weapons released by the US Army Central Command showed that they were similar to others captured by US forces in other shipments linked to Tehran”.
The Foreign Ministry went further, ruling that the states that “invaded” Yemen “were not in a position to blame others.” An implicit reference to the United States, one of the main arms suppliers to Saudi Arabia, the country that leads a coalition that launched an operation in Yemen in 2015 to oust Iranian-backed Houthi rebels.
The news agency also contacted Iran’s mission to the United Nations, which noted that Tehran “adheres to the resolutions adopted by the UN Security Council related to Yemen.”
And it is precisely that a United Nations opinion prohibits arms transfers to the Houthi rebels in Yemen.
A revelation in a complex context for Iran
The revelation made by the Pentagon comes at a time when Iran has come under pressure over its delivery of drones to Russia. A fact that occurred when it had already been strongly criticized for the government’s repression of protesters in the country.
In addition, it is not the first time that accusations like this have been made known. The United States and other Western countries had already denounced sending Houthi forces “missiles, drones and other weapons that they have used to carry out hundreds of attacks against Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Yemeni forces trying to uproot the fighters backed by Iran”, according to the ‘WSJ’.
On January 6, US forces intercepted a fishing boat carrying 2,116 AK-47 assault rifles. That time Washington also assured that they were destined for the Houthi rebels.
Alarms are raised by a possible escalation of the Yemeni conflict
Attacks by Saudi Arabia and its allies have ceased since a ceasefire went into effect in Yemen last year. One that ended in October despite diplomatic attempts to extend it.
Iran has denied arming the Houthis. Some statements that contrast with the investigations of the UN and several Western countries.
More weapons handed over to the Houthis raise fears that the conflict could escalate. One that has already claimed the lives of more than 150,000 people, most of them civilians.
With AFP, AP and local media
#denounces #seizure #thousands #Iranian #weapons #bound #Yemen
