(United Nations) The United States accuses Russia of discussing arms transfers with Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels, whose attacks on Red Sea shipping are hijacking a vital commercial waterway.
Moscow is “making its own deals” with the Houthis to allow its ships to sail unhindered in the Red Sea, US special envoy for Yemen Tim Lenderking told AFP, speaking on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York.
“We have confirmation that the Russians and the Houthis are in dialogue on ways to cooperate,” including on arms transfers, he continued in this interview conducted on Wednesday.
“We don’t know if weapons are being transferred right now, but we’ve reached the point where we’re all sounding the alarm to make sure that doesn’t happen,” he said.
If the arms transfers were to materialize, this “could significantly change the conflict,” the American diplomat continued, warning of an “escalation” that would derail efforts to end the ten-year war in Yemen.
Yemen, the poorest country on the Arabian Peninsula, has been in a state of war since 2014, although fighting has ceased in the past two years.
The conflict has killed hundreds of thousands of people and caused one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises, according to the UN.
Intense discussions
“The idea that the Russians could supply the Houthis with lethal weapons is very worrying for countries in the region,” Lenderking continued.
The Houthis, who control large swathes of Yemen, have for months targeted ships they believe are linked to Israel, the United States or the United Kingdom, saying they are acting in solidarity with Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, in the context of the war between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas.
Their attacks have disrupted traffic in this maritime zone essential to global trade, prompting the United States to set up an international maritime coalition and strike rebel targets in Yemen, sometimes with the help of the United Kingdom.
The US envoy reported a multitude of diplomatic efforts on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly to end the attacks in the Red Sea.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken discussed the situation in Yemen with the foreign ministers of the Gulf Cooperation Council, who met in New York on Wednesday, Tim Lenderking said.
“My team and I met with the Saudis, Emiratis, Omanis and the Yemeni government this week,” he said.
“I think we are all looking for the right mix of pressures and incentives to encourage the Houthis to move away from the Red Sea,” the envoy added, adding that Washington “favors a diplomatic solution.”
When asked about Iran’s role in the talks between Russia and the Houthis, he replied: “Iran always seeks to protect and amplify the interests of the Houthis.”
The Houthis are part of the “axis of resistance” to Israel formed by Tehran, he recalls.