SANA'A: Yemen security sources at the port of Hodaida, west of the capital, Sana'a, revealed to Bikyamasr.com that following reports from the Yemeni Intelligence Services, the country's seaport authorities had intercepted an Iranian ship loaded with weapons they believed was to be delivered to the al-Houthis fighters. Al-Houthis, a group of Shia dissidents, who for years have been refusing to recognize the central government's authority, calling for the re-establishment of the rule of the Imam and a return to a Shia Islamic-based governing system similar to that of Iran and its Ayatollahs, has been for the past few months using the civil unrest in Yemen to resume its territorial campaign, extending its hold in the northern territories to three provinces, Sa'ada, al-Jawf and Hajjah. Despite some fierce resistance from Salafists, a group of Sunni Islamic hard-liners supported by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, al-Houthis have been gaining much ground, prompting Riyadh to raise the alarm with Sana'a, and to warn the international community that Iran was using al-Houthis to promote a war by proxy against the Kingdom. Although Bikyamasr.com could not independently verify the claims made by another newspaper, al-Watan, affirming that the ship was transporting mortar launchers, anti-armor shells and other weapons, several officials did not deny the allegations, admitting that “heavy weapons were on board.” The matter is bound to prompt a response from Saudi Arabia, especially since the Shia rebels have been intensifying their provocations, by kidnapping Saudi nationals and conducting raids against villages sitting on the northern Yemeni-Saudi border, re-igniting old border grievances. Moreover, this latest move from Tehran coincides with more military movements in the strait of Hormuz, confirming rumors that Iran could be preparing for an armed confrontation with the United States. American officials advanced the theory that Iran would be using the unrest in Yemen to infiltrate its political arena, using al-Houthis to further its goal in the region. If indeed Iran was to secure Yemen as an ally, it would have direct access to the Red Sea, a stones throw away from not only the Suez Canal and the world's oil route but also Israel. BM ShortURL: http://goo.gl/3NQn9 Tags: Meddling, Riyadh, Tehran, Weapons Section: Iran, Latest News, Saudi Arabia, Yemen
