Iran is sowing discord in Yemen and other regional countries as part of a “revolution export” strategy, the foreign minister of the United Arab Emirates said last Wednesday, raising its disdain for the Islamic Republic to a new level.
At a news conference, Shaikh Abdullah bin Zayed al-Nayahan was asked to back up allegations that Iran has provided military support for Houthi rebels in Yemen.
He shot back, “Iran is not carrying out this activity only in Yemen. It is conducting the same activity in Lebanon, in Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan and in Pakistan.” The inclusion of Pakistan was a rare assertion heard in the Arab world, though many rightwing Pakistanis accuse Iran of using Pakistani Shias to plot a takeover of that country.
Shaikh Abdullah said, “Someone might say that the information provided by Yemen is not accurate, but there is systematic action that has been going on for years on the idea of exporting the [Iranian] revolution.”
Iran denies arming the Houthis and has condemned the Saudi-led air offensive against the Houthis, of which the UAE is a part.
Shaikh Abdullah said the Sunni Muslims of the Persian Gulf Arab states could have “positive, normal” relations with Tehran, “but Iran is not giving its partners in the region this hope…. Each time we try to come close to Iran, it starts spoiling the region, making [matters] difficult for our countries.”
Yemeni Foreign Minister Riyadh Yassin said there was much evidence of Iranian meddling in Yemeni affairs, including quietly arming the Houthis and training them in Iran.
“There are a number of Iranian Revolutionary Guards inside Yemeni territory,” Yassin said, without saying how many or giving other details.
He said the struggle with Iran was no sectarian conflict. “I hope we do not fall to the thinking this is sectarian issue…. This is not a sectarian issue. This is related to the idea of exporting the revolution, which is part of their constitution and their system,” he said.
