Yemeni rebels ask ally Iran to stop exploiting country’s war

SANAA — A top leader of Yemen's Shiite rebels issued a harsh rebuke of ally Iran on Thursday, calling on Tehran to back away from the crisis in Yemen.

Yusef Al Fishi, a top military commander of the rebels known as Houthis, asked Iranian officials to "remain silent" and "stop exploiting" the Yemeni civil war for their own interests.

The remarks, posted on Fishi's Facebook page, underscore how the formerly firm Houthi-Tehran alliance may be faltering after a year-long Saudi-led air campaign targeting the rebels. The violence has left Yemen's infrastructure in ruins, killed more than 6200, and forcibly displaced 2.4 million people.

They were made against a backdrop of a slight cooling in the conflict between the Houthis and Iran's regional rival Saudi Arabia, which recently negotiated a prisoner exchange with the rebels.

The rebuke came a day after Iranian deputy chief of staff Gen. Masoud Jazayer was quoted by Iran's Tasnim news agency as saying that the Islamic Republic is ready to help Yemeni people "in any possible level". The comment was in response to a question about whether Iran is ready to send military advisers to Yemen as it did in Syria.

The level of Houthi-Iranian cooperation remains unclear, as is the extent of the relationship between ousted President Ali Abdullah Saleh — whose forces are fighting alongside the Houthis — and Iran.

The Houthis have been accused of receiving weapons from Iran. A report by the United Nations panel of experts on Yemen released in February and obtained by The Associated Press said that the panel is investigating the alleged transfer of anti-tank guided missiles from Iran to the Houthis. It said that it had inspected the weapons in question and they resembled those seen in the media in Houthi possession in August.

Saudi Arabia announced on Wednesday it has carried out a prisoners’ exchange for the first time with Yemeni tribes, releasing seven Yemenis in exchange for one Saudi soldier.

The Yemeni capital of Sanaa and the northern region of the country, where Houthis are in control, have reported relative calm in recent days.

The swap raised hopes that Saudis and Houthis are working towards a political settlement after informal talks were held in Oman. Saudi-led coalition spokesman Brig. Gen. Ahmed Al Asiri said Wednesday they had held talks with tribal figures who are serving as mediators, but the Saudis were not talking directly with the Houthis.

The Houthis took over Sanaa in September 2014, and the Saudi-led coalition began air strikes against the rebels in March 2015. Al Qaeda militants, the Daesh terror group, southern separatists, and other militants have capitalised on the chaos of Yemen’s civil war.