The internationally recognized president of Yemen, Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi, while addressing world leaders at the United Nations General Assembly, accused Iran of spreading terrorism and brutality across the Middle East and vowed to “extract Yemen from the claws of Iran.”
“The destructive scheme led by Iran through its mercenaries in Yemen stands no chance of succeeding,” declared the Yemeni leader, vowing, “We shall extract Yemen from the claws of Iran, we shall raise the Yemeni flag over every foot of our precious Yemeni soil and we will lay the foundation for a just federal state.”
His comments came as the UN condemned an increase in attacks targeting civilians by the U.S.-backed Saudi-led coalition that is combating Iran-allied Shiite Houthis and their supporters, armed groups loyal to Yemen’s former president Ali Abdullah Saleh.
The Saudi-led coalition has been fighting to restore Yemeni President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi back to power since March 2015.
More than 10,000 people have been killed in the proxy war between regional enemies Sunni Saudi Arabia and Shiite Iran. UN-sponsored peace talks collapsed last month.
Nevertheless, President Hadi said Friday at the UN Assembly’s annual general debate that a “new Yemen” will emerge from the bloody war as he thanked the UN for all its efforts in trying to bring peace to his country and “break out of the suffocating crisis” his people are facing.
The Iran-backed Houthis have recruited children, besieged cities, and waged a meaningless war against the Yemeni people, who are facing an unprecedented humanitarian crisis, proclaimed the Yemeni president.
Citing the UN World Food Program, Reuters points out, “Nearly half of Yemen’s 22 provinces are on the verge of famine.”
“Iran impeded all measures that we are taking” to implement UN-sponsored peace, declared the Yemeni leader while addressing the leaders of the world.
He indicated that “extremism and sectarianism sponsored by Iran would create further terrorism and brutality” as he denounced the Islamic Republic for spreading chaos across Yemen and the rest of the Middle East.
President Hadi’s comments came on the same day that Reuters reported:
The United Nations has condemned airstrikes by an Arab coalition that killed 26 people in Western Yemen on Wednesday and said attacks on civilian facilities in the Arab World’s poorest country have increased since July.
Warplanes of the Saudi-led alliance launched missiles at a residential neighborhood in the Red Sea port city of Hodeidah on Wednesday where Houthi leaders were staying, a resident and medics in the Houthi-controlled area told Reuters.
In a statement denouncing the attack, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon noted that dozens of civilians, including children and women, had been killed and maimed.
“Wednesday’s raid, which the Arab alliance said it was investigating reports on, was the latest in a series of strikes that have hit schools, hospitals, markets and private homes,” reports Reuters. “In August at least 41 attacks hit civilian facilities and killed 180 civilians, a 40 percent increase in casualties since July, said a U.N. human rights spokeswoman.”
While Iran considers the Houthis to be the legitimate authority in Yemen, it denies accusations by Saudi Arabia, Yemen, and the United States that it is providing military aid to the rebels.
“The Houthis say they are fighting a revolution against a corrupt government and its Gulf Arab backers,” notes Reuters.
Meanwhile, the U.S.-backed Saudi-led Sunni coalition “has repeatedly said it does not target civilians,” adds the news outlet.