Sunday, February 08, 2015

Iran's Position in Yemen's Turmoil


Important Update added on February 9

On February 6, 2015, BBC London reported about the takeover of power in Yemen by Houthi rebels who announced to dissolve parliament as well. The Houthis delivered their message from the Republican palace in Sanaa to a huge gathering of political, military and tribal figures in an effort to demonstrate the range of their support. The Saudis are on the alert in what they see as an Iranian-backed Shia takeover in a country where they are used to exert political influence.

One day later, Al-Arabiya, a TV station in the United Emirates came with the following headline:

محللون: دعم إيران مكّن الحوثيين من الصعود السريع

Analysts say Iran supported the stabilization of Houthis with rising speed.




Iranian readers at a Tehran newspaper stall. [Al-Arabiya February 7, 2015]


The Houthis are a Muslimic sect traditionally living in parts of Northern Yemen, including the Yemenite capital of Sanaa. In 2009, Al-Jazeera had already published a map on its Arabic website showing the region where that group of Zaidiyyah Shia-Muslims is concentrated. The Houthis are named after a former commander, who was reportedly killed by Yemenite army forces in September 2004. The group's religious orientation makes them a potential partner for the Islamic Republic of Iran which is dominated by Shia-Islam as well.



Traditional strongholds of the Houthis in Yemen. [Al-Jazeera, August 12, 2009]


أبدت دول الخليج قلقها من تزايد النفوذ الإيراني في اليمن كما انتقدته واشنطن، وأعرب مجلس الأمن عن قلقه من تردي الأوضاع محذراً من فرض عقوبات في حال لم تستأنف المحادثات التي ترعاها الأمم المتحدة.ـ

For an eternity the Gulf states were alarmed by any augmentation of prestige for Iran in Yemen [similar to that whenever Iran was] criticized by Washington, and the [United Nations] Security Council became alarmed [of crashing into] the difficult situation of imposing sanctions in a matter of negotiations to be resumed under the auspices of the Security Council [itself].

فصعود المتمردين الحوثيين الخاطف، وتقدمهم في اليمن، ثم استيلاؤهم على السلطة، ما كان ليتم بحسب مراقبين دون تواطؤ داخلي ودور خارجي، ثقله وعمادُه الرئيسي هو إيران. فرغبة في وضع قواعد جديدة للسياسة في الشرق الأوسط، ومساومة القوى العظمى بشأن ملفات عدة، مكنها من أن تضع قدمها على باب المندب، وتغرس راياتها خفية في تراب اليمن، وتدق الأبواب الخلفية لدول الخليج ومصر، كما أنها تجد موطئ قدم على البحر الأحمر.ـ

The sudden rising of the Houthi rebels, their advance in Yemen and grip of power, which was a stand alone [action] according to observers [and] without secret complicity of [some foreign residency], was [even though claimed to be due to Iran's presidential support]. There are wishes for the installation of a new political structure in the Middle East .....


[Source: Al-Arabiya العربية on February 7, 2015]

..............................


UPDATE for February 9:

The following text has been quoted from the Arabic website of Iran's TV station Al-Alam العالم.




الحوار اليمني يستأنف برعاية اممية للخروج من الازمة

The Yemenite dialogue is being resumed [at the time of]
international protection for an exodus from the capital.



An article from the same day is showing that Iran also supports the authorities of Palestine and how Palestine's ambassador to Tehran is evaluating that help.




سفير فلسطين في طهران: إيران سند أساسي لا غنى عنها

The Palestinian ambassador in Tehran said
Iran essentially helped in what is necessary.


أكد السفير الفلسطيني لدى طهران صلاح الزواوي أن إيران سند أساسي لللقضية الفلسطينية ولا غنى لفلسطين عنها؛ مشدداً على أن: مهمتنا كفلسطينيين أن ندفع باتجاه دفع العلاقات العربية الإيرانية.ـ

The Palestinian ambassador to Tehran, Salah al-Zaouaoui, confirmed that Iran essentially helped in the Palestinian cause [and Palestine needed it]. He however insisted: " It is important to us how we Palestinians are paying the debt [and face the cost of] Arabic Iranian relations. "


[Source: Al-Alam العالم, Tehran, on February 9, 2015]

Another source confirms that Palestine's Hezbollah and Hamas are approaching towards Iran. Hamas leader Khaled Meshal should have left to meet with Iranian leaders in Tehran. [Source: fr.labs.teads.tv]

..............................






" Should we be worried that the enemy of our enemy Al Qaeda is also
friends with our other enemies -- adversaries, anyway -- in Tehran? "


Question raised by the Los Angeles Times on February 7, 2015, in the frame
of their column Why the U.S. is courting the Houthis taking control in Yemen.



Some guy from one of the poorest countries in the world
is searching for a schematic diagram of a rocket engine.
Honi soit qui mal y pense !


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