Iran Review

Salimeh Daremi
Persian Gulf Studies Expert 

Military clashes between government forces of Yemen and al-Houthi Shiites in Saada province are gradually turning into a full-blown, destructive war. Yemen is meanwhile grappling with various crises which reflect wide gaps between the government of Abdullah Saleh and his opposition in north Yemen as a result of increasing influence of the separatist forces.

Anyway, widespread clashes in Saada, which are turning into a full-fledged war, can be very serious for Yemen and ultimately lead to a regional crisis. The ongoing developments in Saada show that both sides are not trying to find another way, but war, to achieve their goals and only believe in use of weapons. The present war in Yemen is not acceptable and the clashing parties should seek other solutions because they have already signed the Doha Agreement and its subsequent obligations.

At the same time, intervention of regional countries in the crisis calls for a regional consensus to reach a final solution and sustainable peace. Six wars, which have broken out between al-Houthi insurgents and the central government since 2004, have proven that foreign interventions are at work to fan the flames of clashes. Explicit intervention of Saudi Arabia in Yemen is a good instance to the point. On the other hand, it seems that Yemeni authorities are trying to attract international support subsequent to intensification of clashes between government forces and al-Houthi Shiites to suppress separatist tendencies.

Yemeni security and military officials have been in talks with the Americans over signing of a joint security agreement which would pave the way for such support. On the other hand, allegations about Tehran’s military and financial support for Shiites in Saada have turned the conflicts into a regional crisis. Although Iran has consistently rejected those allegations, but Arab countries consider Iran a threat to regional security. This viewpoint has its roots in pre-revolution Iran when the country was playing the role of a regional gendarme. Concerns about export of the Islamic Revolution as well as Iran’s support for such groups as Hamas and Hezbollah combined with Iran’s nuclear standoff in recent years are major factors which have sustained that assumption after the victory of the 1979 Islamic Revolution.

Iranian media do not believe that al-Houthi tribe is any danger to Yemen and sympathize with the Shias and this has given rise to allegations that Iran is militarily and financially supporting Yemeni Shias. At the same time, Iranian authorities have reacted to the allegations by Yemenis officials. Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki has noted that Iran does not intend to foster tension in any place as this would be against its policies and national interests.

Summarizing the reasons behind the current crisis to foreign intervention is simplistic and other factors including ignoring the rights of the Shias and inattention to the Doha Agreement should be taken into account when analyzing this crisis. It seems that suspicions about Tehran’s role in the uprising cannot be dispelled through official stances taken by the Iranian officials. Some claims raised by Yemen like seizing a ship carrying Iranian arms for al-Houthi insurgents have led analysts to argue that the clashes in Yemen are, in fact, an indirect confrontation between Tehran and Riyadh. No solid proof, however, has been thus far produced by authorities in Sana’a to validate their claims about Iran supporting al-Houthi insurgents.

The root cause of anti-Iranian allegations by Saudi and Yemeni officials should be sought in recent regional developments. Domestic developments in Iran following the June presidential elections, subsequent negotiations between Iran and 5+1 on the Iranian nuclear case and concerns among US allies in the Persian Gulf over a possible reconciliation between Tehran and Washington, the improved situation of Lebanese resistance movement after publication of Goldstone report, Riyadh’s intervention in Lebanon and establishment of a national alliance government in that country are among major regional developments which have given rise to those allegations.