The White House Accuses Iran of Supporting Yemeni Rebels
The United States has accused Iran of playing a significant role in attacks by Houthi rebels on commercial ships in the Red Sea. According to the White House, Iran has been providing the Yemeni rebel group with weapons and tactical intelligence.
In a statement released on Friday, White House national security spokeswoman Adrienne Watson said, “We know that Iran was deeply involved in planning the operations against commercial vessels in the Red Sea. This is consistent with Iran’s long-term material support and encouragement of the Houthis’ destabilising actions in the region.”
The White House presented newly declassified intelligence, claiming that visual analysis showed nearly identical features between Iran’s KAS-04 drones and the unmanned vehicles used by the Houthis, as well as consistent features between Iranian and Houthi missiles. However, Al Jazeera could not independently verify these claims.
The Houthis, who control large parts of Yemen, have launched dozens of drone and missile attacks on commercial shipping in the Red Sea, causing widespread disruption to global trade. More than a dozen shipping companies have suspended transit through the Red Sea due to the attacks.
In response, the United States announced the launch of a multinational force, involving more than 20 countries, to protect vessels transiting the Red Sea. This comes after a US guided-missile destroyer shot down 14 attack drones believed to have been fired from Houthi-controlled regions of Yemen.
The Houthi leadership has warned that they will strike back at “American battleships” and “American interests” if they are attacked. Meanwhile, Tehran has denied sending weapons to the Houthi rebels, claiming to only support them politically.
The conflict in Yemen has been ongoing since 2014, when the Houthis rose up against the Yemeni government, triggering a devastating civil war.