Yemeni officials stressed that the foiled boat attack by Iran-backed Houthis over the weekend has the hallmarks of Tehran.
The Arab coalition to restore legitimacy in Yemen announced on Sunday the foiling of a terrorist attack by the Houthi against Saudi Arabia’s Port of Jizan. The Royal Saudi Navy Forces intercepted and destroyed two remote-controlled explosive boats headed towards the port.
Yemeni Information Minister Muammar al-Eryani told Asharq Al-Awsat that the failed attack “was a message from Iran that was being executed by the coup militias in order to destabilize the region.”
“It is banking on militias that are losing all of their military capabilities on the ground against the advance of the national Yemeni army, which is backed by the Arab coalition,” he added.
“These militias, which emerged from caves, have no vision or experience in controlling such booby-trapped vessels. This therefore confirms the presence of Iranian experts, who are providing them with all forms of training,” he went on to say.
The minister warned that such acts threaten international navigation and the militias resort to them whenever they face mounting losses on the battlefield.
Eryani called on the international community to take decisive measures against the Houthis to force them to cease such practices and violations.
He warned that the militias will continue to repeat their violations if they are not firmly dealt with.
Yemeni army spokesman Abdo Majali told Asharq Al-Awsat that the danger of the booby-trapped vessels lies in their targeting of trade ships, which will in turn alarm the international community.
He reiterated Eryani’s assertions that such attacks have Iranian hallmarks, explaining that the Yemeni army did not possess such capabilities in the past.
Furthermore, he noted the presence of Iranian experts in several cities that are controlled by the Houthis.
