UAE Press: World needs to address threat posed by Iran

The UAE and its allies have for long been cautioning the world that Iran is continuing its expansionist and destabilising behaviour in the region and is fuelling the conflict in Yemen, said The Gulf Today in an editorial on Saturday.

"The United Nations Secretary-General’s recent report on UN Security Council Resolution No. 2231 has now strongly confirmed such assertions. As the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation points out, the evidence presented by the United States leaves no doubt about Iran’s flagrant disregard for its UN obligations and its role in the proliferation and trafficking of weapons in the region.

"From missiles to drones to explosive boats, illegal Iranian arms shipments to the Houthis and other proxies are stoking the fires of sectarian violence endangering civilians. Iran’s support for the Houthi militias constitutes a flagrant violation of UN Security Council Resolutions No. 2216 and No. 2231. It has disrupted the political process and prolonged the crisis in Yemen. It is now obvious that the hostile practices of Iran in the Republic of Yemen aim at obstructing all efforts to reach peace," the English language daily added.

It went on to say that Saudi Arabia is also absolutely right in condemning the Iranian regime for its flagrant violation of other international resolutions, including UN Security Council Resolutions No. 1559 and No. 1701, which prohibit the arming of non-state militias in Lebanon, under Chapter VII, as well as UN Security Council Resolutions No. 2231 and No. 2216.

"US ambassador to the United Nations, Nikki Haley, has presented undeniable evidence that a ballistic missile fired by Houthi militias in Yemen at Saudi Arabia last month was Iranian-made. Haley has made it clear that Iranian fingerprints were all over the weapons, one of which was fired at Riyadh’s airport on 4th November," it continued.

The paper quoted Haley explaining that the missile "was made in Iran then sent to Houthi militants in Yemen. From there it was fired at a civilian airport with the potential to kill hundreds of innocent civilians in Saudi Arabia."

"Tehran’s supply to Houthi militias of dangerous rockets pose great risks not only to the lives of the brotherly Yemeni people but threatens the security of sea lanes and peace in the entire region. The international community should take immediate action to implement relevant UN Security Council resolutions and hold the Iranian regime accountable for its aggressive actions. There is also a dire need to tighten the UN Verification and Inspection Mechanism to prevent smuggling," the Sharjah-based daily concluded