Yemen And Iranian Supplied Weapons

The Yemeni Government has struck a blow against the Iranian regime’s weapons proliferation activity and its destabilizing activity in the region.

Yemen And Iranian Supplied Weapons

On January 23, the Yemeni government interdicted a vessel in Yemeni waters attempting to smuggle a large cache of Iranian-supplied weapons, explosives and other munitions into Yemen. In a statement, U.S. State Department spokesperson Victoria Nuland commended the Government of Yemen, noting that its initial investigation revealed “the vessel was carrying a large shipment of explosives, mortars, rocket-propelled grenades, IED precursors, and most disturbingly, man-portable anti-aircraft missiles.

The weapons,” said Ms. Nuland, “are clearly designed to cause significant damage with the highest possible number of casualties and are a threat to both Yemen and the region.”

Yemen’s National Security Bureau chief Ali Hassan al Ahmedi said that the shipment of arms shows that Iranian officials “insist on damaging Yemen.” Yemen’s Interior Minister Abdelqader Qahtan said in a statement that “the arms and explosive shipment seized in Yemen’s territorial waters on January 23 were very dangerous due to the amounts of explosives that would have killed millions of Yemenis if placed in residential areas.”

State Department spokesman Nuland noted that United Nations Security Council Resolution 1747 “expressly prohibits Iran from exporting arms and related material, and in light of this evidence, the United States encourages the UN Sanctions Committee to respond immediately to the Yemeni Government’s request to send a Panel of Experts to examine the seized weapons and bring its findings to the Security Council.”

Ms. Nuland said, “Iran continues to defy the international community through its proliferation activities and support for destabilizing action in the region. The international community must continue to speak with one voice and work to ensure that Iran adheres to all of its international obligations.”