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.”



Lebanon: Hezbollah ‘Mends’ Ties with Prime Minister

Salam met with a Hezbollah delegation. (Premiership)
Salam met with a Hezbollah delegation. (Premiership)
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Lebanon: Hezbollah ‘Mends’ Ties with Prime Minister

Salam met with a Hezbollah delegation. (Premiership)
Salam met with a Hezbollah delegation. (Premiership)

A Hezbollah delegation visited Prime Minister Nawaf Salam at the Grand Serail on Wednesday with the aim of “mending” ties with the Premier after the latter’s remarks about the party’s arms.

Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri had met with Salam two days ago in a bid to ease the tension between Salam and Hezbollah and pave the way for the meeting between the two.

The Hezbollah delegation comprised head of the Loyalty to the Resistance bloc MP Mohamed Raad, MPs Hussein Hajj Hassan, Amin Sherri, Hasan Fadlallah and Ibrahim al-Musawi.

According to sources who spoke on condition of anonymity, the meeting has opened a "new path for the relations” between Salam and Hezbollah.

Hezbollah pins high importance on the cessation of Israeli hostilities and the need for Israel to withdraw from five strategic points it still occupies in southern Lebanon, in addition to reconstruction after Israel’s war on the country, the sources stated.

Salam for his part emphasized commitment to the provisions in the ministerial policy statement, said the sources, with emphasis on continued coordination between the two.

Raad told reporters after the meeting that the party has nothing but “good intentions” towards the government, “we are keen for lasting consensus with all the country’s components, and with all the ministries”.

Raad stated that Hezbollah is keen to cooperate with the government, “Nothing can hamper the cooperation between us and the government, which we are part of”.

“We know this phase is a difficult one...We, as government and people, authorities and political forces, must know that our priorities at this stage stand at ending the Israeli occupation, returning the hostages, and stop the daily Israeli aggressions happening daily on roads and in villages in the South, and to begin reconstruction”, stated the MP.

Whether discussions with the PM touched on the party’s armament, Raad said it was not discussed in detail. “The issue of arms must be discussed in an objective manner that preserves the country’s interest, the choices of its people, and deterring the Israeli aggression threatening its security and stability”.

On reports that Hezbollah has conditioned the option of its disarmament to reconstruction, Raad denied saying: “everything will be discussed in truly time”.