The recent airstrikes in Yemen by Saudi Arabian led coalition forces have triggered tensions in the region as the Iranian government accused Saudi Arabia of intentionally striking its embassy in Yemen. According to state-run IRIB News, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Hossein Jaberi Ansari laid the blame on Saudi Arabia; calling them to take responsibility for compensating the Iranian government for damage done to the embassy and for injuries suffered by the embassy’s personnel. Col. Ahmed Asseri. Furthermore, the Saudi led coalition spokesman refuted these claims and reiterated that there was no evidence to back the accusations. The spokesman said the air strikes had targeted Houthi rebel missile launchers, and that the rebels had used abandoned embassies for operations. He reported that all coordinates pertaining to the location of foreign institutions were in their possession and therefore it was unlikely to have hit Iran’s embassy. Saudi Arabia has, however, promised to carry out a thorough investigation but it is doubtful Iran will accept the results of a Saudi investigation. Not in light of the longstanding tensions between Sunni-dominated Saudi Arabia and Shiite-led Iran, which have escalated in recent days, threatening an even bigger confrontation that could roil not only the Middle East but the whole world.
The growing row between Saudi Arabia and Iran could derail peace efforts in Syria and Iraq, as well as in Yemen. There has been a risk of a cold war between Iran and Saudi Arabia; the region’s biggest rivals. This could kindle something more serious. According to BBC’s Arab Affairs Editor, Sebastian Usher, the row began after Sunni-ruled Saudi Arabia executed a Shia cleric, Nimr al-Nimr. Iranian protesters in Tehran, angry at the execution, attacked the Saudi embassy, leading Saudi Arabia to cut off diplomatic relations. In response, Iran banned the import of all Saudi goods. The bottom line is that there is a lot of confusion and suspicion between both states which could go a long way and escalate tensions in the region. The Saudis have accused Iran of smuggling in arms by sea to equip the Shia Houthis, who retain control over the capital and much of the country. Saudi officials have even claimed that Iranian military commanders are also on the ground there, helping to direct the Houthis. Of course both Iran and the Houthis have denied this claim. The reality is that the Houthis owe most of their military gains to support from renegade Yemeni army units loyal to ousted ex-President Ali Abdullah Saleh.
Yemen, like Syria, has become a proxy battleground for rivals. Different nations have been taking sides and further increasing the rift in the country. A country which had been plagued by instability, poor governance, widespread poverty for years, does not need any more conflict. International reaction has been predictable, with Saudi allies such as Bahrain and other nations taking measures to downgrade or end relations with Iran. World powers have called for de-escalation. The US is in a delicate position, being a long-term ally of Saudi Arabia but seeing a thaw in ties with Iran in the wake of the nuclear deal. UN officials have warned that the already desperate humanitarian situation in Yemen has severely deteriorated over the last eight months with the country experiencing a humanitarian catastrophe. At least 5,878 people had been killed and 27,867 others had been wounded since the escalation in March of the conflict between forces loyal to the exiled President Abdrabbuh Mansour Hadi and those allied to the Houthi rebel movement.
The destruction of infrastructure and restrictions on imports imposed by a Saudi-led coalition carrying out air strikes against the rebels have led to 21.2 million people being deprived of life-sustaining commodities and basic services according to United Nations reports. It is rather unfortunate that the conflict between Iran and Saudi Arabia is escalating the situation in Yemen. Both powers have a lot of influence in the region and should have led peace movements instead of brewing conflict. We can, therefore, be certain that the hostile Iranian-Saudi relations will only prolong the misery of Yemen and Syria, with a diplomatic solution unlikely and both sides keen to prevent the other gaining influence.
