The US asks Iran to stop giving weapons to the Houthis in Yemen and says it reaches “unprecedented” levels

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Washington assures that Tehran gives the Houthis “advanced weapons, including ballistic and cruise missiles”, in violation of sanctions

May 14. (PERSS EUROPE) –

The United States has called on Iran to end its delivery of weapons to the Houthis in Yemen and has stressed that these shipments are “unprecedented” and that they allow the group to carry out its attacks against shipping in the Red Sea and the Gulf. of Aden, in what the rebels describe as a response to Israel’s offensive against the Gaza Strip.

“We reiterate our call on Iran to cease its illegal arms deliveries and to stop allowing illegal and reckless attacks by the Houthis,” said the ‘number two’ of the US legation to the United Nations, Robert Wood, in an appearance. before the UN Security Council.

Thus, he highlighted that “the scale and diversity of the material that is being delivered to the Houthis (…) is unprecedented”, before maintaining that Iran “provides the Houthis with advanced weapons, including ballistic and cruise missiles” and He added that it represents “a violation of UN sanctions that fuel regional instability.”

“We must collectively call on Iran to abandon its destabilizing role and insist that it cannot hide behind the Houthis,” he said, while noting that “if the (UN Security) Council wants to return to a framework of greater hope for Yemen, collective action must be taken.

In this sense, he has advocated “doing more to strengthen enforcement” of the arms embargo and “deterring those who violate sanctions”, including strengthening the capacity of the UN Verification and Inspection Mechanism for Yemen (UNVIM). to “inspect ships destined for ports controlled by the Houthis.”

Wood has stressed that the agreement reached last year for an exchange of nearly 900 detainees in the context of the war between the rebels and the internationally recognized government – backed by a coalition led by Saudi Arabia – and the truce agreed between the parties “represented a promise for the end of the conflict.”

“Although the truce remains in force, the sad reality today is that Houthi attacks on commercial and naval vessels in the Red Sea have set back progress towards sustainable peace, while the humanitarian situation has worsened. for the Yemeni people,” he argued, according to a transcript of his statements published by the US legation to the UN.

HUMANITARIAN IMPACT OF REBELS ATTACKS

In this way, he stressed that the aforementioned attacks “have caused an increase in prices and caused delays in deliveries”, which is why “Yemenis face problems buying goods, food and other essential products in the markets.” , with 18.2 million people in need of humanitarian aid.

“Millions of people suffer high levels of food insecurity and acute malnutrition, many remain internally displaced in southern Yemen and lack access to health and protection services, clean water and sanitation facilities,” said Wood, adding that ” “Despite the enormous level of need, there are not enough resources to support the humanitarian response.”

“As the world’s leading donor of humanitarian assistance to Yemen, the United States urges the international community to provide more financial support to mitigate the terrible humanitarian crisis in Yemen,” he said, before emphasizing that this requires the rebels to end to their attacks against international shipping.

Finally, Wood has reiterated the need to “redouble collective efforts to put Yemen on a more positive trajectory” and noted that “it is very clear that the Houthis and their attacks in the Red Sea, and increasingly in the ocean Indian, jeopardize the potential benefits of a political resolution.”

The Houthis, who have controlled the Yemeni capital, Sanaa, and other areas in the north and west of the country since 2015, have launched several attacks against Israeli territory and against ships with some type of Israeli connection as a result of the Israeli offensive against the Strip. of Gaza, while threatening to attack American and British ships in response to the bombings against Yemen.