In a letter to the United Nations on Tuesday, Iran’s permanent representative to the world body dismissed the allegations of Iran’s interference in Yemen’s affairs contained in a 13 March letter by the permanent mission of Yemen addressed to the UN, describing them as “unfounded”.
In the letter, Gholamali Khoshroo referred to the Saudi-led aggression against Yemen, saying, “In principle, foreign military intervention has never led to the resolution of any dispute, and the current airstrikes against Yemen won’t be an exception,” according to the website of the Islamic Republic of Iran Permanent Mission to the United Nations.
“The bombing campaign further destabilizes Yemen and could lead to a prolonged and bloody civil war. It stokes and exacerbates the ongoing conflict in the country, and, if unchecked, will turn it into a protracted torment.”
The terrorist groups operating in the region are the only ones benefiting from the Saudi airstrikes, which prepare the ground for such groups to expand their activities to materialize their “nefarious” objectives, the letter said.
Infesting Breeding Ground
“Tragically, Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, ISIS (the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria) and other extremist and terrorist groups in the region are the only beneficiary of the current destabilizing airstrikes and are poised to further benefit from the space created by the bombing to control larger territory in Yemen and turn it into a breeding ground for their nefarious purposes.”
Khoshroo denounced the attempts to portray the conflict in the war-wracked country as a “sectarian” strife between Sunni and Shiite groups.
“The conflict in Yemen is entirely local, not regional. Nor is it sectarian,” the letter said, adding,
“The preposterous narratives trying to depict it as merely a battleground between Sunnis and Shiites are entirely erroneous and invented simply to advance the interests of the foreigners.”
“A brief look at the recent history and societal mosaic of Yemen as well as the composition of the parties clearly demonstrate the nature of what is going on there,” the ambassador noted in the letter.
He called for an immediate halt to the air campaign against Yemen and underlined an inclusive “Yemenite-led dialogue” as the only solution to the crisis plaguing the Arab country.
“As there could never be a military solution for the conflict in that country, the immediate cessation of the bombing campaign and a genuine push for political solution is the only responsible approach to the crisis. A Yemenite-led dialogue and conciliation process among all Yemeni political and social groups is the only way to resolve the Yemeni predicament.”
