Yemen Envoy: Iran’s Fault if Cargo Ship Gets Attacked

Says Iranian Ship Doesn't Have Permission to Deliver Aid

With the ceasefire at least partly holding in Yemen, there has been a wellspring of hope among locals that some humanitarian aid will finally be delivered, while what remains of Yemen’s officials abroad work hard to ensure the deliveries are not made.

Yemen’s mission to the UN Security Council, a remnant of the Hadi government that resigned back in January, today warned an Iranian ship trying to deliver humanitarian aid that it doesn’t have permission from “the legitimate government” to do so, and that any military attack on the cargo ship from Saudi ships imposing a blockade will be Iran’s fault.

The threat of Saudi warships attacking the cargo ship isn’t lost on Iran, which says it will provide a naval escort for the ship to Hodeida, near the capital city of Sanaa. A previous attempt by Iran to deliver humanitarian aid to Sanaa by cargo plane was thwarted when Saudi warplanes blew up the airport to prevent them landing.

Yemen is estimated to import around 90% of its food, and since the Saudi war began six weeks ago, commerce has ground to a near halt. Shortages of food, fuel, and medicine are now common throughout major cities.

Author: Jason Ditz

Jason Ditz is Senior Editor for Antiwar.com. He has 20 years of experience in foreign policy research and his work has appeared in The American Conservative, Responsible Statecraft, Forbes, Toronto Star, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Providence Journal, Washington Times, and the Detroit Free Press.