Iran denies regime’s connection to Houthis as ‘Israeli incitement,’ decries airstrikes in Yemen

After the UN Security Council (UNSC) discussed Houthi attacks on Israel and international shipping this week, the Iranian regime hit back on Thursday by condemning Israeli and U.S. strikes on the Houthis as violating international law while denying any connection to the terror group.

Danny Danon, Israel’s UN ambassador who convened the meeting, said that the Houthi terror group in Yemen was “nothing more than part of Iran’s war against peace.”

“Let me make one thing absolutely clear: we have had enough. Israel will not stand by and wait for the world to react. We will defend our citizens,” Danon vowed.

Iran's ambassador to the UN, Amir Saeed Iravani, in response, wrote a letter to the UN Secretary-General and the president of the UNSC denying “false accusations” that Iran is involved in Yemen.

“The claims are baseless, and are part of an Israeli campaign of incitement designed to justify aggressive actions and destabilize the region,” wrote Iravani. “We strongly condemn the Israeli ambassador's blatant attempt to mislead the international community.”

Iravani went on to call the accusations by the “Israeli regime” and the U.S. an attempt to “make Iran a scapegoat to justify its illegal actions and malicious activities in the region.”

“Not Iran, but Israel’s bellicose regime relentlessly pursues a policy of provocation and destabilizing activity, which poses a serious threat to peace and security in the region and beyond,” he added.

Claiming that Iran had always fulfilled its obligations under international law and UNSC resolutions, Iravani slammed the airstrikes against the Houthis as “acts of aggression against Yemen's sovereignty and territorial integrity, especially its attacks on civilians and essential infrastructure, including Sana'a Airport and Hodeidah Port.”

“These illegal actions, which are carried out with the direct support and cooperation of the US and the UK, are serious violations of the UN Charter and international law, including international humanitarian law,” he wrote, saying it was “ironic” the U.S. and the United Kingdom “provide political cover” for Israel.

While the exact degree of Iranian control and influence over the Houthis remains a topic of discussion among experts, Iranian arms transfers are estimated to have begun as early as 2009, and were well established by 2014, when the group captured the capital Sana’a.

The shipments have continued unabated since then. For example, U.S. CENTCOM stated at the end of January 2024 that it intercepted a shipment containing “over 200 packages that contained medium-range ballistic missile components, explosives, unmanned underwater/surface vehicle (UUV/USV) components, military-grade communication and network equipment, anti-tank guided missile launcher assemblies, and other military components.”

At the UNSC meeting, Danon presented evidence of the Houthis’ latest missile attacks, noting that his old school in the town of Ramat Gan was severely damaged by a missile.

“What would you do if it was your child, your school, your city? Because this isn't just my story. It's Israel's story. It's a story we are living every single day. We have had enough,” Danon declared.

“We have no dispute with them, yet they send their missiles and their drones to murder our people. And why? Pure radical jihadist hatred for Jews.”