Iran denies involvement in Houthi takeover of Bab el-Mandeb, calls group 'independent'

Iran strongly denied any involvement in the Houthi rebels' seizure of the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei, speaking at a press briefing Monday (local time), denied that Iran had played any military role in the Houthi takeover of the strait. "Iran does not interfere in Yemen's decisions," he said. "Ansarullah (the Houthi movement) is an independent Yemeni actor that makes decisions based on its own interests."

Baghaei drew a clear line against any suggestion of Iranian meddling in Yemeni affairs, while also warning that certain forces were exploiting the situation. "Iran does not interfere in Yemeni affairs in any way," he said. "However, as a country that attaches great importance to regional developments, we are aware that some forces are stoking tensions and divisions among Islamic nations and seeking to profit from the chaos."

He then doubled down on the point that the Houthis act on their own. "It is a very clear fact that Yemenis make their own decisions," Baghaei said. "Ansarullah, as an independent Yemeni actor, makes decisions based on what it considers to be in its own interests and what it deems necessary."

Baghaei also placed the conflict in its historical context. "Today's situation cannot be analyzed without its historical background," he said. "We are dealing with a country that has been under attack and subjected to a brutal blockade for the past 10 to 12 years and has made every effort to reclaim its legitimate rights."

He added that because those demands had gone unmet through conventional channels, the Houthis had been left with no choice but to act. "Because these entirely legitimate demands were not met through existing channels, they made the decisions they believed were appropriate to defend their own rights," he said.