Al-Mukalla: A Yemeni leader has revealed that Iranian interference in Yemen began in 1979 with the return of exiled Ayatollah Khomeini to Tehran.
Additionally, Badr Eddin al-Houthi, the father of the movement's leader, was in charge of an armed group in 1983, according to Rashad al-Alimi, chairman of Yemen's presidential leadership council, who spoke to Al Arabiya TV on Monday.
Al-Alimi claimed in an exclusive interview with the station that year that militias under the command of al-Houthi and Salah Faletah, the Houthis' chief negotiator, had attacked civilian and military targets in Sanaa.
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"It should be clear to everyone that the Iranian project was not created in 2000 or 2004 but by a preliminary strategic plan. The issue arose after the return of Khomeini and the start of Iran's territorial expansion plan.
The president continued, "The rise of Iranian cells in Yemen coincided with the rise of Hezbollah in Lebanon."
He noted that several Yemeni governments had attempted to inform the world about the seriousness of the situation over the past four decades, especially during the conflicts between 2004 and 2010.
Al-Alimi pointed out that despite ongoing Houthi violations since April, which resulted in hundreds of government military personnel being killed or wounded, the internationally recognized government and council were committed to maintaining the UN-mediated ceasefire, which It ended in October. , and other peace initiatives to end the war.
To date, militant Houthi militias have resisted extending the ceasefire and allowing access to Taiz.
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The Houthis attacked oil terminals in the southern provinces of Hadramaut and Shabwa in October, shutting down vital facilities and suspending oil exports, the government's main source of revenue, and the National Defense Council, headed by al-Alimi. The Houthis were declared a terrorist organization.
The Yemeni government may be unable to pay the salaries of thousands of public servants as a result of the attacks, and damage repair costs to the Hadramaut facility are estimated at $50 million, he continued.
Al-Alimi said, "We urge the international community to go beyond condemning the actions by designating this terrorist organization." It has links to terrorist organizations such as Hezbollah and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (of Iran).
He claimed that the Houthis provided aid to terrorist organizations such as Daesh and al-Qaeda and released militants who had been imprisoned for their role in the 2000 attack on the USS Cole destroyer. These militants were then sent to the newly-liberated areas to attack government forces.
In April, former President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi appointed an eight-member Presidential Leadership Council, which now includes prominent military and political figures as well as the governors of several provinces.
Al-Alimi, who is currently in Riyadh, denied reports that there were conflicts among council members and claimed that he and other members often met online before going back to Aden.
Regarding the council's successes, he emphasized revitalizing the courts and other public institutions, and regularly paying public employees in all areas under government control.
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All Free Territories currently have fully functional judicial, criminal justice and court systems, he continued.
Regarding Yemen's relations with the Arab coalition, especially with Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, Al-Alimi said that more than 2 million Yemenis reside in the kingdom and leave their families in Yemen at least annually. Sent 4 billion dollars.
Saudi Arabia also provided funding for several initiatives, such as the renovation of Aden Hospital. The UAE was also involved in the construction of a 120 MW solar power plant in Aden.
The Houthis prioritize Iran's interests over those of Yemen, he continued. "The strategic relationship between us and the Kingdom derives from the interests of the Yemeni people.