US slams Iran for "smuggling" envoy into Yemen
The US on Wednesday slammed the Iranian regime for installing a new ambassador to the Houthi militia in Yemen — a move that the State Department spokesperson said shows the extent of Iran’s influence in the war-torn country.
Morgan Ortagus said the new ambassador is a member of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), who has links to Hezbollah in Lebanon.
“The Iranian regime smuggled Hassan Irloo (Eyrlou), an IRGC member tied to Lebanese Hezbollah, into Yemen under the guise of ‘ambassador’ to the Houthi militia,” Ortagus said on Twitter, urging Yemenis to denounce Iran and its ambassador. “Iran’s intent to use the Houthis to expand its malign influence is clear. The Yemeni people should say no to Irloo and Iran.”
On Saturday, Iran’s Foreign Ministry said Hassan Eyrlou, the country’s new ambassador to Yemen, had arrived in Houthi-controlled Sanaa, a move that triggered uproar among the Yemeni public and officials.
Yemen’s Foreign Ministry on Monday sent a letter to the UN Security Council to complain about Iran’s announcement, accusing the Iranians of violating “international law and Security Council resolutions, including Resolution 2216.”