Dubai: The internationaly-recognised Yemeni government of President Abd-Rabbo Mansour Hadi has decided to sever diplomatic relations with Iran, state-owned Aden television reported on Friday without elaborating.
“From today (Friday), the government officially put an end to all diplomatic relations and political ties with the Islamic Republic of Iran,” government spokesman, Rajeh Badi said.
“The decision came after Iran repeatedly intervened in Yemen’s internal affairs and supported sabotage acts in the country such as sending weapons to Al Houthi militia,” Badi said.
He added that “Yemen’s embassy staff in Tehran might leave Iran after closing the embassy soon.”
The Saudi-led Arab coalition intervened in the war in March to try to restore Yemen’s government after it was forced into exile by the Houthis, aiming to contain what Gulf states see as Iran’s growing influence in their backyard.
Bahrain had recalled its ambassador from Iran and asked the Iranian Acting Charge d’Affaires to leave the kingdom within 72 hours after he was declared persona non-grata on Thursday. The move followed the discovery of a large weapons cache and a bomb-making facility south of the capital Manama. Bahraini authorities said the discovery had links to Hezbollah and Iran.
Bahrain on March 15, 2011 had recalled Ambassador Rashid Al Dossary after it accused Iran of “blatant interference in Bahrain’s domestic affairs.”
Tehran recalled its envoy in Manama in a tit-for-tat move one day after the Bahraini envoy was recalled.
However, Bahrain reinstated Ambassador Al Dossary in August 2012 following a 17-month absence.
In Geneva, the Human Rights Council voted by consensus a Saudi proposed call for Yemen to receive “technical assistance” on improving human rights. The measure that passed Friday came after Dutch diplomats this week abandoned a separate proposal calling for an international fact-finding mission in Yemen.
Meanwhile, a senior operative in Yemen’s Al Qaida affiliate condemned the recent bombings of local Shiite mosques by Daesh. In a video released early Friday, Khaled Batarfi said that Al Qaida leaders Osama bin Laden and Ayman Al Zawahri had both banned the practice of attacking mosques.
- With inputs from agencies
