Iran’s UN Ambassador Denies Support for Houthis

Iran’s ambassador and permanent representative to the United Nations has denied supporting its Yemeni militia, the Houthis, calling the claim "unfounded".

Amir Saeid Iravani voiced his criticism of the US claims in letters addressed to the UN Secretary-General and the President of the Security Council on Wednesday amid the Houthis' blockade of the Red Sea region.

The denial followed a statement from Robert Wood, the US representative at the UN, who told a Security Council briefing on Yemen in June that Iran continues to support and enable Houthi attacks in the Red Sea, violating the arms embargo.

Wood emphasized that “Iran should not be permitted to hide behind the Houthis. It must comply with the Council’s resolutions and cease its provision of weapons.”

Iravani, in his response, wrote: “On numerous occasions, Iran has made it clear that it is committed to the Security Council's relevant resolutions on the situation in Yemen and has not engaged in activities contravening these resolutions.”

However, Iran arms, trains and funds the militia, which has been at the heart of a decade-long civil war in Yemen.

Since November, the Houthis, who control Yemen's capital and its most populous regions, have attacked international shipping in the Red Sea in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza.

During this period, they have conducted over 60 targeted attacks on specific vessels and launched additional missiles and drones, resulting in the deaths of four sailors and kidnap of dozens more.

The attacks commenced following a call from Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei in early November for Muslim nations to blockade Israeli trade.