Doha (Monitoring Desk) — Yemen’s ambassador to Qatar, Rajeh Badi, has accused Iran of being behind the recent resumption of fighting in Yemen, saying Tehran wants to expand its influence over key maritime routes in the Red Sea through the Houthi rebels.
The Yemeni ambassador blamed the Houthis for starting the fighting, saying the group is seeking to seize important and strategic areas along the Red Sea.
According to Rajeh Badi, the relationship between Iran and the Houthis is no longer hidden from anyone, while Tehran is focusing on further strengthening the Houthis as one of its remaining sources of leverage.
He further said that if Iran’s claim that it controls the Strait of Hormuz and Bab al-Mandab is true, the situation could prove more powerful than any stockpile of nuclear weapons.