Al Houthi terrorists from Yemen and their Iranian masters seem to be intent on bringing disruption to international oil markets in a misguided attempt to change attitudes or somehow seek relevance for their causes and agenda. In late May, off the UAE’s eastern coast, two tankers were attacked with limpet mines or similar devices, followed by similar incidents against four other tankers, while Iranian forces have attempted to take other vessels sailing in internationally recognised waterways and seized two other ships.
The latest act of sabotage against oil facilities came just days ago when Al Houthi drones attacked an oil field in Saudi Arabia and also targeted other civilian installations. These terrorists undoubtedly used weaponry supplied by their armourers in Iran’s Revolutionary Guard, aided and abetted by the regime in Tehran. Any damage caused in these attacks was relatively minor, and any attempt to interrupt oil production failed dismally.
The attempts by Al Houthis to attack the infrastructure in Saudi Arabia has been condemned by the United Nations, with Martin Griffiths, the organisation’s special envoy to Yemen expressing his concern at the attacks and ongoing conflict in the war-torn nation as he reported back to the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) in New York on Tuesday.
For more than three years, an international coalition led by Saudi Arabia — and in which the UAE is proud to play its part — has been acting on a UNSC resolution to restore the legitimate government of Yemen, overthrown by Al Houthi usurpers.
Throughout this conflict, Al Houthis have done everything to thwart peace efforts and frustrated every meaningful initiative to bring peace and stability to Yemen. From the earliest days of talks in Kuwait City, Al Houthis waited on instructions from Tehran. And when a deal was reached in December to allow badly-needed aid into the port of Hodeida, it took Al Houthis months to leave their positions and even then did so only in a piecemeal fashion.
The regime in Tehran and its minions on the ground in Yemen need to know in the plainest possible language that the international force in Yemen will not be deterred from the necessary work of bringing law and order to that nation and restoring its legitimate government. Neither Saudi Arabia nor its allies will be discouraged by any number of failed attacks, drones or limpet mines. Nor will the international community stand by while Al Houthis continue their futile campaign that has brought misery to the people of Yemen.
