.Yemen accuses Iranian 'religious institutions' of backing armed rebellion
Yemen, the poorest Arab state and a known base for al-Qaeda, is fighting a vicious war in the northern mountains near the border with Saudi Arabia against a Shia tribal group known as the Houthis.
The authorities now claim to have seized an Iranian-crewed vessel carrying anti-tank missiles off the Yemeni coast near the Houthi stronghold on Monday.
"Yemeni Navy and Coast guard seized a foreign vessel carrying a quantity of arms and other goods in its territorial waters," a statement said.
"Security authorities are conducting an investigation with the vessel's five-man crew members, who are Iranian nationals."
An Indian is also said to have been on board.
The Houthi rebellion has escalated from a local dispute into a major sectarian conflict with international repercussions. The Houthis belong to a Shia sect known as the Zaidis, while Yemen is majority Sunni muslim.
In August, the government launched Operation Scorched Earth to obliterate the rebels, whose motto is "God Is Great - Death to America, Death to Israel".
Tens of thousands of people have been displaced by the fighting and shelling.
Many observers see the fighting as a proxy combat between allies of Saudi Arabia and Shia Iran, the two major powers in the Gulf.
The Saudis give financial backing to the Yemeni government, with which they cooperate in tackling al-Qaeda-linked militant groups, but deny reports that their troops have joined in the fighting.
The United States also backs the government with "technical advice", seeing it as an important bastion against global terror, especially given that it is a short hop across the Gulf of Aden to Somalia.
Yemen has accused Iran of backing the militants at least financially, and have previously claimed to have found Iranian arms.
They have now downplayed the accusation that the government in Tehran is directly involved, but their claim to have seized an Iranian-crewed vessel may be the first "smoking gun" they have found to provide a direct link between the Houthis and Iranian supporters.
The authorities said the vessel was intercepted in the Red Sea west of Medi, a port in the north-western governorate of Hajjah which borders the territory controlled by the Houthis.
An official said the Iranian crew had been taken to the Yemeni capital Sanaa for questioning, and claimed the boat was due to have picked up Iranian casualties from the fighting.
If the Yemeni claims are verified, it will be the second embarrassment in as many days for the government in Tehran after 11 border guards were picked up inside Pakistan.
They were returned after claiming to have strayed into Pakistani territory accidentally while chasing after smugglers.
There were suspicions the incident may have been linked to Iranian claims that Pakistan was sheltering members of the militant Sunni group Jundullah responsible for a bomb attack on the Revolutionary Guard last week.
Telegraph
The authorities now claim to have seized an Iranian-crewed vessel carrying anti-tank missiles off the Yemeni coast near the Houthi stronghold on Monday.
"Yemeni Navy and Coast guard seized a foreign vessel carrying a quantity of arms and other goods in its territorial waters," a statement said.
"Security authorities are conducting an investigation with the vessel's five-man crew members, who are Iranian nationals."
An Indian is also said to have been on board.
The Houthi rebellion has escalated from a local dispute into a major sectarian conflict with international repercussions. The Houthis belong to a Shia sect known as the Zaidis, while Yemen is majority Sunni muslim.
In August, the government launched Operation Scorched Earth to obliterate the rebels, whose motto is "God Is Great - Death to America, Death to Israel".
Tens of thousands of people have been displaced by the fighting and shelling.
Many observers see the fighting as a proxy combat between allies of Saudi Arabia and Shia Iran, the two major powers in the Gulf.
The Saudis give financial backing to the Yemeni government, with which they cooperate in tackling al-Qaeda-linked militant groups, but deny reports that their troops have joined in the fighting.
The United States also backs the government with "technical advice", seeing it as an important bastion against global terror, especially given that it is a short hop across the Gulf of Aden to Somalia.
Yemen has accused Iran of backing the militants at least financially, and have previously claimed to have found Iranian arms.
They have now downplayed the accusation that the government in Tehran is directly involved, but their claim to have seized an Iranian-crewed vessel may be the first "smoking gun" they have found to provide a direct link between the Houthis and Iranian supporters.
The authorities said the vessel was intercepted in the Red Sea west of Medi, a port in the north-western governorate of Hajjah which borders the territory controlled by the Houthis.
An official said the Iranian crew had been taken to the Yemeni capital Sanaa for questioning, and claimed the boat was due to have picked up Iranian casualties from the fighting.
If the Yemeni claims are verified, it will be the second embarrassment in as many days for the government in Tehran after 11 border guards were picked up inside Pakistan.
They were returned after claiming to have strayed into Pakistani territory accidentally while chasing after smugglers.
There were suspicions the incident may have been linked to Iranian claims that Pakistan was sheltering members of the militant Sunni group Jundullah responsible for a bomb attack on the Revolutionary Guard last week.
Telegraph
posted by madtom at 7:50 PM
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