Yemeni minister accuses Iran of supporting Houthis through smuggling

By Mohammed Sameai and Muhammed Emin Canik

ADEN, Yemen (AA) - Yemen's Information Minister Muammar al-Eryani on Thursday accused Iran of supporting Houthis through illegal means such as weapons and drug smuggling.

Al-Eryani told Yemen's state news agency, Saba, that only two days before the US seizure of a fishing boat loaded with drugs that set sail from Iran's Chabahar Port, another ship loaded with drugs which set sail from the same port of Iran and destined for Yemen was seized.

He said that the seizure of the vessels reveals that the Tehran regime continues to support "terrorist Houthi militias" with weapons and drug shipments in flagrant violation of international laws and conventions.

Yemeni minister called for international condemnation of Iran, saying, "The international community, the United Nations and the permanent members of the UN Security Council must fulfill their legal responsibilities and condemn Iran's stance that undermines the efforts to achieve peace in Yemen."

Yemen has been engulfed by violence and instability since 2014, when Iranian-aligned Houthi rebels captured much of the country, including the capital, Sanaa.