Bab al-Mandab, Yemen
11 May 2023

U.S. Special Envoy for Yemen Tim Lenderking remarked that “despite the fact that we welcomed an agreement between the Saudis and the Iranians, I remain concerned about Iran’s role… The Iranians have continued to smuggle weaponry and narcotics toward the conflict [during the truce], and we are very concerned that this would continue despite the benefits that could come from a Saudi-Iran deal”. He further opined that “the Saudi-Iran agreement alone will not bring peace to Yemen. Huthis do not just take Iranian direction on peace efforts. And the Yemen conflict is about more than Saudi Arabia and Iran. There are internal tensions and divisions within the society that have helped fuel this conflict… Many people are sharing with us that in their conversations with Iran that Iran is supportive of a political process in Yemen. We want to see that borne out in fact, and we do not want to see a continuation of the smuggling and violation of UN Security Council resolutions, which characterised the previous seven years of Iran’s engagement on Yemen”.

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