Pompeo Affirms Support for Arab Coalition in Yemen, Says Iran Behind Continuation of War

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. (Reuters)
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. (Reuters)
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Pompeo Affirms Support for Arab Coalition in Yemen, Says Iran Behind Continuation of War

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. (Reuters)
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. (Reuters)

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo underlined on Monday US support for the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen, blaming Iran for the civil war.

“The support we’re providing to the Saudis as they attempt to engage these dangerous missiles systems is in America’s best interest,” said Pompeo, according to The Hill newspaper.

He blamed Iran, saying the war is “Iranian led” and that Tehran has “chosen to direct” the Houthis not to withdraw from the port of Hodeidah as agreed to last year.

“The Houthis, who continue to refuse to comply with the agreements they have signed up for in Stockholm, Sweden, refused to move back from the port in Hodeidah,” he stressed.

He said weapons used by Houthis are smuggled into Yemen from Iran in addition to the missiles launched at Saudi territory and that affect civil aviation.

“The United States has an obligation to protect our citizens, so the support that we’re providing to the Saudis as they attempt to engage these dangerous missile systems is in America’s best interest,” he told the newspaper.

He said the US military support also aims at countering al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula and ensuring protection of the US from the terror risk inside Yemen, pointing to the reasons why US President Donald Trump vetoed a Congress resolution to end support for Yemen.

When asked whether ISIS still poses a threat, Pompeo said it undoubtedly still does.

“We have made significant progress. I give our coalition partners – we built a coalition of over 80 countries, called the Defeat ISIS Coalition, an enormous global coalition to take down that caliphate. That coalition remains,” he responded.

On whether the US was seeking regime change in Iran, Pompeo said the US administration wants it “to make a set of decisions that are very different from the ones they’re making today.”

He highlighted the 12 demands by the US administration back in May 2018, stressing that they are all reasonable and simply call on Iran to behave like a normal country.

“They’re simple things like don’t kill people in Europe, don’t conduct assassinate – it’s not outrageous.”

He also wondered “whether it is outrageous to ask Iran not to support militias in Iraq to try and destabilize the Iraqi government so the Iraqi people have an independent, sovereign nation of their own.”



France Renews ‘Unwavering Position’ on Morocco’s Sovereignty Over Sahara

French President Emmanuel Macron and Morocco’s King Mohammed VI meet in October 2024. (MAP
French President Emmanuel Macron and Morocco’s King Mohammed VI meet in October 2024. (MAP
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France Renews ‘Unwavering Position’ on Morocco’s Sovereignty Over Sahara

French President Emmanuel Macron and Morocco’s King Mohammed VI meet in October 2024. (MAP
French President Emmanuel Macron and Morocco’s King Mohammed VI meet in October 2024. (MAP

France on Tuesday underscored its “unwavering” position on the issue of the Moroccan Sahara, in a statement released by the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs following a meeting between French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot and his Moroccan counterpart Nasser Bourita.

The statement reiterates the position expressed by President Emmanuel Macron to King Mohammed VI in his letter dated July 30, 2024, according to Morocco’s news agency, MAP.

Macron’s letter emphasizes that “for France, the present and future of Western Sahara lie within the framework of Moroccan sovereignty,” while recalling the “unwavering nature of France’s position” and its commitment to “act consistently with this position at both the national and international levels.”

According to the French Ministry statement, Barrot stressed France’s “clear and consistent support for the autonomy plan under Moroccan sovereignty.”

He described it as “the only framework within which this issue should be resolved”, underlining that it is “the sole basis” for reaching a political solution.

Noting the “growing international consensus” in support of Morocco’s autonomy initiative, Barrot also stated that France intends to fully contribute to this momentum.

Moreover, France reaffirmed its commitment “to support Morocco’s significant efforts in promoting economic and social development” in the southern provinces of the Kingdom, highlighting the various measures taken in this regard and expressing its willingness to continue this dynamic.

The statement came hours after Bourita met with Barrot in Rabat. The officials vowed to bolster their cooperation and to deepen the “exceptional partnership” between their countries launched during Macron’s visit to Morocco in October.