Iran Fires Back at Blinken’s Accusations:
U.S. Reaping Windfall of Blood Trade in Yemen
TEHRAN (Dispatches) – Iran said on Wednesday the U.S. is resorting to blame game to try and deflect attention from its crimes targeting Yemen, including its deadly arms support for the Saudi invaders of the impoverished country.
It came after U.S Secretary of State Antony Blinken implicated Iran in Yemen’s crisis and leveled serious accusations against the country’s popular Ansarullah movement.
The Saudi war on Yemen is entering the seventh year this month, with the U.S. being viewed widely an accomplice in the deaths of more than 200,000 Yemenis through providing the kingdom with advanced weapons and logistical assistance.
Iran’s Foreign Minister Saeed Khatibzadeh said the United States and its allies "have been reaping benefit from blood trade in Yemen by selling arms to the Saudi-led coalition”.
While both the invaders and their backers have realized that their inhumane military campaign has been frustrated, "they are still trying to shirk responsibility for the atrocities and misdirect the public opinion,” he said.
"The Americans cannot throw baseless accusations at others instead of being accountable for the atrocities,” he added,
On Tuesday, Blinken accused Iran of "involvement” in Yemen and claimed that Ansarullah was using Iranian backing. Both the Islamic Republic and the Yemeni movement have rejected the claim.
Khatibzadeh said the world and the Yemeni people will never forget the atrocities carried out by the invaders and their supporters, whose notoriety will go down in history.
In his remarks on Tuesday, Blinken reiterated a recent assertion by U.S. President Joe Biden that Washington will help Riyadh "defend” itself despite earlier claims that the new administration would end Washington’s backing for the war.
Khatibzadeh regretted that the Biden administration’s alleged expression of interest in chocking up support for the war has not been followed by any meaningful action or a change in the U.S. policy.
"We have not yet witnessed any practical measures aimed at the cessation of the Saudi-led coalition’s invasion,” he said, adding that the Biden administration is following the same policy towards Yemen as that of his predecessor Donald Trump.
Khatibzadeh reiterated Iran’s stance that Yemen’s crisis cannot be resolved through any military means.
He recalled a four-point proposal that Iran forwarded to the UN only a month after the beginning of the invasion, recommending a cessation of hostilities, removal of a siege that the invaders have been enforcing on Yemen, transfer of humanitarian aid to Yemen’s oppressed people, and holding intra-Yemeni talks.
On Tuesday, Iranian Foreign Minister Muhammad Javad Zarif and UN chief Antonio Guterres called for the start of peace talks in Yemen in order to put an end to the protracted Saudi-led aggression and blockade.
In a phone conversation, Zarif and Guterres discussed the latest steps taken by the United Nations
It came after U.S Secretary of State Antony Blinken implicated Iran in Yemen’s crisis and leveled serious accusations against the country’s popular Ansarullah movement.
The Saudi war on Yemen is entering the seventh year this month, with the U.S. being viewed widely an accomplice in the deaths of more than 200,000 Yemenis through providing the kingdom with advanced weapons and logistical assistance.
Iran’s Foreign Minister Saeed Khatibzadeh said the United States and its allies "have been reaping benefit from blood trade in Yemen by selling arms to the Saudi-led coalition”.
While both the invaders and their backers have realized that their inhumane military campaign has been frustrated, "they are still trying to shirk responsibility for the atrocities and misdirect the public opinion,” he said.
"The Americans cannot throw baseless accusations at others instead of being accountable for the atrocities,” he added,
On Tuesday, Blinken accused Iran of "involvement” in Yemen and claimed that Ansarullah was using Iranian backing. Both the Islamic Republic and the Yemeni movement have rejected the claim.
Khatibzadeh said the world and the Yemeni people will never forget the atrocities carried out by the invaders and their supporters, whose notoriety will go down in history.
In his remarks on Tuesday, Blinken reiterated a recent assertion by U.S. President Joe Biden that Washington will help Riyadh "defend” itself despite earlier claims that the new administration would end Washington’s backing for the war.
Khatibzadeh regretted that the Biden administration’s alleged expression of interest in chocking up support for the war has not been followed by any meaningful action or a change in the U.S. policy.
"We have not yet witnessed any practical measures aimed at the cessation of the Saudi-led coalition’s invasion,” he said, adding that the Biden administration is following the same policy towards Yemen as that of his predecessor Donald Trump.
Khatibzadeh reiterated Iran’s stance that Yemen’s crisis cannot be resolved through any military means.
He recalled a four-point proposal that Iran forwarded to the UN only a month after the beginning of the invasion, recommending a cessation of hostilities, removal of a siege that the invaders have been enforcing on Yemen, transfer of humanitarian aid to Yemen’s oppressed people, and holding intra-Yemeni talks.
On Tuesday, Iranian Foreign Minister Muhammad Javad Zarif and UN chief Antonio Guterres called for the start of peace talks in Yemen in order to put an end to the protracted Saudi-led aggression and blockade.
In a phone conversation, Zarif and Guterres discussed the latest steps taken by the United Nations
to end the war and restore peace in Yemen as well as efforts to start dialogue among all political parties in the country.
The UN chief called for the continuation of Iran’s crucial efforts to help establish peace in Yemen.
Zarif, for his part, expressed Iran’s support for UN efforts to restore peace in Yemen, and stressed the need for an end to the Saudi war of aggression, lifting the blockade and providing humanitarian assistance to the Yemeni people.
On Tuesday, aid groups warned of worsening humanitarian situation in Yemen after a UN appeal for more funds for the war-torn country fell short of reaching its goal.
Guterres has appealed for $3.85 billion this year to address the impoverished Arab country’s dire needs but despite repeated warnings that a large-scale famine is looming, the amount raised is about $1.7 billion.
The UN chief has warned that "cutting aid is a death sentence,” calling for countries to reconsider their positions and help "stave off the worst famine the world has seen in decades.”
The UN chief called for the continuation of Iran’s crucial efforts to help establish peace in Yemen.
Zarif, for his part, expressed Iran’s support for UN efforts to restore peace in Yemen, and stressed the need for an end to the Saudi war of aggression, lifting the blockade and providing humanitarian assistance to the Yemeni people.
On Tuesday, aid groups warned of worsening humanitarian situation in Yemen after a UN appeal for more funds for the war-torn country fell short of reaching its goal.
Guterres has appealed for $3.85 billion this year to address the impoverished Arab country’s dire needs but despite repeated warnings that a large-scale famine is looming, the amount raised is about $1.7 billion.
The UN chief has warned that "cutting aid is a death sentence,” calling for countries to reconsider their positions and help "stave off the worst famine the world has seen in decades.”