RIYADH: Yemeni Foreign Minister Dr. Shaya al-Zindani accused the Iran-backed Houthi militias of obstructing the efforts of United Nations envoy Hans Grundberg to achieve peace in the country.
In an interview with Asharq Al-Awsat, he said the militants were seeking to stoke chaos in Yemen, while the peace process is effectively frozen because Iran is pushing the Houthis to reject peace and prolong the war.
“Unfortunately, as part of the government, we do not sense that the Houthis have a desire to achieve peace and end the war. They live for war,” he added.
The legitimate government “has agreed to all initiatives that have been presented by friends and brothers, but the Houthis have not been receptive to them.”
He blamed Iran for encouraging the Houthis to maintain their intransigence.
On reports about an attempt on Grundberg’s life, Zindani said: “There are efforts to thwart his work and plunge us in chaos.”
This all benefits the Houthis, he went on to say. “We, on the other hand, believe that the envoy represents the voice of international legitimacy and UN Security Council resolutions. It is in our interest to support him despite his shortcomings in some areas,” the minister stated.
Asked if the Security Council was preparing a resolution on Yemen, he replied that he had no information about that yet. He acknowledged, however, that some parties are starting to believe that resolution 2216 was no longer applicable.
Media sources have said that the US and Britian were seeking to issue two Security Council resolutions on Yemen in the coming weeks.
Zindani remarked that based on his experience, resolutions are rarely amended; rather, new ones are adopted.
“The government, in line with international, regional and national legitimacy, is showing openness and being reasonable with all efforts aimed at resolving Yemen’s plight,” he stressed.
The new resolutions, he said, will likely complement resolution 2216 and take measures against the Houthis because they have ignored other resolutions.
“The Houthis don’t believe in peace or national partnership; they don’t even have a political platform,” he charged.
“They are a close-minded group that operates according to its sectarian ideology, and it believes it has the right to rule the Yemeni people,” the FM told Asharq Al-Awsat.
The military option against the Houthis will “always remain on the table” as long as Yemen continues to be threatened, he added.
Arms smuggling
On Iran’s role in Yemen, Zindani lamented that the international community “had not seriously dealt with the issue of arms smuggling to the Houthis.”
Security Council resolutions have been clear about this, but not a single measure has been taken since 2016, he noted.
This has allowed Iran to deliver drones, ballistic missiles and even hypersonic missiles to the Houthis, he added.
“One can smuggle a rifle undetected, but sending rockets and drones without detection is suspicious,” Zindani said.
He said that some form of leniency in dealing with this issue allowed Iran to continue to support the Houthis.
“Should Iran fail in changing its policies and outlook and agree to establishing good ties with its neighbors and concern itself with its own people, then it will continue to meddle with Yemen’s internal affairs, which will only harm it and countries in the region,” he warned.
On the recent seizure weapons off the coast of Aden, he said the government “will not stand idle.” It will uncover the source of these weapons and act on the diplomatic level as soon as it has evidence.
Reports have said that authorities busted a shipment of drones and advanced equipment from China.
The FM said Yemen and China enjoy “historic and close ties” and that his country will bring up the issue with it should it receive any confirmed information related to the shipment.
“We know that it isn’t easy for any company to export military gear without the knowledge of the Chinese government,” he explained.
“We are keen on our relations with Beijing and we will bring up this issue with our friends there if we receive any evidence that connects the shipment to China,” Zindani said, revealing that the issue was already brought up with Chinese Charge d’Affaires.
On relations with Saudi Arabia, the FM said the Kingdom is Yemen’s main backer. Its support extends to all Yemeni sectors, such as development, reconstruction and humanitarian work through the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center.
He also noted Saudi Arabia’s ongoing financial deposits and grants, stressing that the Kingdom is a “priority in our foreign policy. We are keen on excellent ties we share with it and we constantly aspire to coordinate our efforts on the international arena.”
