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Tehran Boosts Support for Houthis by Appointing Ambassador to Sanaa

An Iranian arms shipment destined for the Houthis was confiscated last February (US Navy)
An Iranian arms shipment destined for the Houthis was confiscated last February (US Navy)
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Tehran Boosts Support for Houthis by Appointing Ambassador to Sanaa

An Iranian arms shipment destined for the Houthis was confiscated last February (US Navy)
An Iranian arms shipment destined for the Houthis was confiscated last February (US Navy)

Iran has stepped up its political and military support for Houthi coup militias in Yemen by appointing and dispatching a new Iranian ambassador to the insurgency-held capital, Sanaa. This sparked public rage in the war-torn country.

The internationally-recognized government headed by President Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi urged a response against the hostile move by Tehran.

Iran had previously avoided officially recognizing Houthis in Yemen, but changed its policy after Houthis appointed Ibrahim al-Dulaimi as ambassador to Iran in 2019. Tehran accepted the appointment and handed over the keys to the Yemeni embassy to al-Dulaimi.

"Hassan Eyrlou... ambassador for the Islamic Republic of Iran in Yemen, has arrived in Sanaa," foreign ministry spokesman Said Khatibzadeh told the Fars news agency.

"He has presented his letters of credentials to Mehdi al-Mashat, head of Yemen's supreme political council," he added, referring to an executive body formed by Houthi militias.

Fars did not specify when or how the ambassador had reached Sanaa, but the announcement came shortly after more than 1,000 prisoners were freed in a landmark exchange between the warring sides in Yemen.

Well-informed sources based in Sanaa revealed that Eyrlou had arrived to Sanaa onboard an Omani flight that transported 283 injured Houthis who were a part of a deal with Washington on releasing two US citizens captured by Houthi militias.

Yemeni activists accuse the UN of facilitating the transport of Iranian officers and experts to Yemen, where they help embolden a Houthi coup d'etat by providing military support.

Iranian military advisors are responsible for giving Houthis access to explosive-making technologies and providing militants with training sufficient to assemble and operate missiles and drones smuggled from Iran.

Yemeni activists have urged the government to respond to Iran sending Eyrlou to Sanaa, saying that the move violates national sovereignty, plays into Tehran's policy on prolonging the war in Yemen, and violates international laws and resolutions.

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World

US Treasury Chief Claims Successes in Isolating Iran

FILE PHOTO: US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent speaks to the media after two days of meetings with a Chinese delegation, in Paris, France March 16, 2026. REUTERS/Abdul Saboor/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent speaks to the media after two days of meetings with a Chinese delegation, in Paris, France March 16, 2026. REUTERS/Abdul Saboor/File Photo
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US Treasury Chief Claims Successes in Isolating Iran

FILE PHOTO: US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent speaks to the media after two days of meetings with a Chinese delegation, in Paris, France March 16, 2026. REUTERS/Abdul Saboor/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent speaks to the media after two days of meetings with a Chinese delegation, in Paris, France March 16, 2026. REUTERS/Abdul Saboor/File Photo

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said on Saturday that he had sent envoys around the world to pressure countries to economically isolate Iran, hailing new restrictions targeting the country's airlines and banks.

"At my direction, teams were dispatched across the globe to engage with countries and demand action against the Iranian regime," he said on X. "These efforts are delivering results."

Bessent noted that Türkiye and Oman have halted incoming flights from private carrier Mahan Air, while the United Arab Emirates has stopped all flights by Iranian airlines.

Dubai, the UAE's commercial hub, is a major destination for Iran's carriers, with multiple daily flights, a large Iranian community and close business links.

Iran's ISNA news agency, citing officials, reported that five countries had revoked the Iranian republic's flight permits: Azerbaijan, Georgia, Iraq, Oman and the UAE.

But it said flights were still operating to China -- which is refusing to yield to US pressure -- and Russia via the two main airlines, national carrier Iran Air and Mahan.

Mahan had announced that it would no longer serve Türkiye at the request of the Turkish authorities, but flights continue several times a day in both directions, via Iran Air or smaller Iranian carriers, according to the Tehran and Istanbul airport websites.

ISNA said Afghanistan, Armenia, Belarus, Malaysia, Pakistan and Tajikistan were still also being served.

Bessent had said on Monday that all Iranian airlines "will be shut down around the world".

He also highlighted new banking restrictions.

On Wednesday, the UAE central bank blocked transactions to and from Iran by branches of Iran's Bank Melli, accusing it of violating laws on money laundering, terrorism and arms proliferation.

Last week, Türkiye revoked the license of Iran's Bank Mellat, a semi-private financial entity that has been subject to Western sanctions for years.

A Wall Street Journal article shared by Bessent said Jonathan Burke, the Treasury's assistant secretary for terrorist financing, traveled across the Middle East and Europe over two weeks to push the plan to impose what Bessent called "economic D-Day" on Tehran.

The US Treasury has held discussions with more than 50 countries, the Journal reported.

World

Separate Mass Shootings in South Africa Townships Leave at Least 27 People Dead

South African police officers during a raid in Johannesburg (Archive - Reuters)
South African police officers during a raid in Johannesburg (Archive - Reuters)
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Separate Mass Shootings in South Africa Townships Leave at Least 27 People Dead

South African police officers during a raid in Johannesburg (Archive - Reuters)
South African police officers during a raid in Johannesburg (Archive - Reuters)

Two separate mass shootings near South Africa’s two biggest cities killed at least 27 people, police said Sunday.

The South African Police Service said 17 people were killed Saturday night when eight suspects armed with AK-47 rifles and pistols opened fire at a bar in Wedela township, southwest of Johannesburg. At least 15 others sustained gunshot injuries in that attack, police said.

In a separate statement, police said 10 people were killed in a mass shooting at a store in Lwandle, near Cape Town, around 1 a.m. Sunday. Another 11 were wounded in that shooting. Police said they were searching for multiple suspects in that case also, though they didn't give an exact number, The Associated Press said.

The two shootings come just days after a mass shooting by three gunmen at a house party near the east coast city of Durban killed 11 people, including a pregnant woman.

No arrests had been made in the two latest mass shootings, police said.

South Africa has struggled with high rates of violent crime for years, but the series of mass shootings this week were shocking even to a country used to some of the highest violent crime rates in the world.

World

Security Increased at US Fairford Air Base in England

People use their cameras as a USAF B-1 bomber approaches to land at RAF Fairford airbase, used by United States Air Force (USAF) personnel, amid the US–Israeli conflict with Iran, in Fairford, Gloucestershire, Britain, March 17, 2026. REUTERS/Toby Melville/File Photo
People use their cameras as a USAF B-1 bomber approaches to land at RAF Fairford airbase, used by United States Air Force (USAF) personnel, amid the US–Israeli conflict with Iran, in Fairford, Gloucestershire, Britain, March 17, 2026. REUTERS/Toby Melville/File Photo
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Security Increased at US Fairford Air Base in England

People use their cameras as a USAF B-1 bomber approaches to land at RAF Fairford airbase, used by United States Air Force (USAF) personnel, amid the US–Israeli conflict with Iran, in Fairford, Gloucestershire, Britain, March 17, 2026. REUTERS/Toby Melville/File Photo
People use their cameras as a USAF B-1 bomber approaches to land at RAF Fairford airbase, used by United States Air Force (USAF) personnel, amid the US–Israeli conflict with Iran, in Fairford, Gloucestershire, Britain, March 17, 2026. REUTERS/Toby Melville/File Photo

Security ‌measures at a US air base in southwest England have significantly increased in recent days, with roadblocks and armed police preventing access and emergency vehicles parked nearby, a Reuters witness reported on Sunday.

A spokesperson for the US Air Force ‌said they ‌were aware of the current ‌reporting ⁠but would not ⁠discuss specific force protection measures.

"The 501st Combat Support Wing and our fellow UK-based Wings remain vigilant and will take appropriate actions to ensure ⁠the safety and security of ‌our US ‌service members, civilians, contractors, and their ‌families," the spokesperson said.

"We constantly ‌assess a variety of factors that determine what measures we institute or modify to protect our installations, ‌our people and their families."

Britain said in July ⁠its ⁠armed forces were ready to protect the country from any attack after Iran's Revolutionary Guards issued a warning not to allow US bombers to fly from Fairford.

Fairford, in Gloucestershire, has been used to launch operations against Iran during the Middle East conflict.