Yemen’s President Calls Houthis ‘Iran’s Puppet’

Yemeni President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi has called the Shi’ite Houthi rebels that have taken over much of the country “Iran’s puppet,” at an Arab League summit that opened on Saturday in the Egyptian resort of Sharm el-Sheikh.

In referencing the Iran-backed rebels, Hadi said “I tell Iran’s puppet … you are the one that destroyed Yemen with your political immaturity.” Iran denies accusations of funding and training the Houthis.

The two-day summit will be dominated by talks on the conflict in Yemen, where Saudi Arabia is leading a regional effort to oust the Shi’ite Houthi group that forced Hadi to flee, and to reinstall Yemen’s internationally recognized government. The coalition consists of 10 countries, including five Gulf monarchies.

Speaking at the summit, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said the only way to prevent a long-term conflict in Yemen is through U.N.-facilitated negotiations.

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sissi urged Arab leaders to support the creation of a joint Arab military force to confront regional security threats.

Saudi navy evacuates diplomats from Yemen

Also Saturday, Saudi Arabia’s navy evacuated dozens of foreign diplomats from Yemen, including Saudis, state television reported. The diplomats were transported from Yemen’s southern port city of Aden to Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea port of Jeddah.

The evacuation came amid deadly fighting in Aden between supporters and opponents of President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi, who recently fled the country.

On Friday, a Saudi military spokesman said the Saudi-led airstrikes against Shi’ite Houthi rebels in Yemen will continue as long as needed to protect the Yemeni government. The spokesman said defending the government is the operation’s main objective.

Yemen has been stuck in violence and chaos since a popular uprising ousted longtime strongman President Ali Abdullah Saleh in 2012.

Source: Voice of America