WorldPosted at: Oct 18 2026 6:08PM


Yemeni official rejects Iran's mediation offer, accuses Tehran of arming Houthis

Aden, Oct 18 (UNI) Yemeni official Afrah Al-Zouba has rejected Iran's proposal to mediate the conflict in Yemen, accusing Tehran of prolonging the war by providing military, financial and political support to Houthi rebels.
In a lengthy post on X, Al-Zouba argued that Iran could not act as a mediator in a conflict in which the Yemeni government considers it a participant.
"Those who arm one side in a war cannot be mediators in that same war," she said, accusing Tehran of supplying the Houthis with funding, training, weapons, missiles and drones.
She urged Iran to withdraw its influence and weapons from Yemen, respect national sovereignty and abide by international law and the principles of good neighbourliness.
Al-Zouba said Iran's mediation proposal came amid escalating hostilities, accusing the Houthis of targeting presidential and government headquarters in the interim capital, Aden, besieging Taiz, attacking civilian targets and launching assaults on Saudi Arabia, besides threatening international maritime navigation.
She argued that the proposal contradicted the group's repeated rejection of political initiatives and regional and international efforts to revive the political process.
According to Al-Zouba, the Houthis had used periods of de-escalation to regroup and strengthen their military capabilities, turning Yemen into a "bargaining chip" in Tehran's regional conflicts.
She also rejected what she described as Iranian attempts to portray the Houthis as legitimate representatives of the Yemeni state or frame the conflict as a dispute between Yemen and Saudi Arabia.
Engagement with the Houthis, she said, did not grant the group legitimacy to represent Yemen or give Iran authority over the country's national decisions. She added that the group remained responsible for its actions, while Iran must also be held accountable for its military and political support.
Al-Zouba reaffirmed Yemen's solidarity with Saudi Arabia and its right to defend its security and protect its citizens and residents, describing the security of the two countries as interlinked.
She said Saudi Arabia had continued to support Yemen through economic, humanitarian and development assistance, while accusing Iran of backing armed groups across the region. She also described threats against Gulf Cooperation Council countries and Jordan as part of what she called Tehran's policy of interference and support for militias.
Al-Zouba further accused Iran of violating Yemeni sovereignty by receiving Houthi representatives, appointing an Iranian representative to the group in Sanaa and operating flights to Sanaa airport without the approval of Yemen's internationally recognised government. She described these actions as violations of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations.
Calling for international action, she urged the global community to support the Yemeni government in restoring state institutions and extending its authority across the country.
She also called for the Houthis to be designated a terrorist organisation, their funding sources cut off, their backers held accountable and enforcement of the UN arms embargo strengthened.
"Whoever desires peace in Yemen should begin by stopping the weapons with which Yemenis are being killed," Al-Zouba said.UNI AAB
Tags: #Yemeni official rejects Iran's mediation offer# accuses Tehran of arming Houthis
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