Us Puts More Pressure on Iranian Regime
NCRI – Earlier this week, the Trump administration progressed in its efforts to exert further pressure on Iran in the form of a field trip in which United Nations Security Council ambassadors were invited to inspect remnants of Iranian-made weaponry and missiles that Iran supplied to rebels in Yemen.
The UN Security Council ambassadors were also invited to have lunch with President Donald Trump where they were encouraged to help counter Iran’s destabilisation of the Middle East.
Last month, the US ambassador to the United Nations, Nikki Haley, revealed that remnants and fragments of missiles had been gathered and served as proof that the Iranian regime is violating UN sanctions with regards to the provision of weapons to Houthi fighters in Yemen.
The inspection of the elements was held at the Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling. Although journalists were not invited to the actual inspection, photos were released by Haley’s office. A drone, tangled pieces of metal and various other objects were seen in the photos.
Haley said that it was important for the UN Security Council ambassadors to view the material and come to their own conclusions about its origins. Haley said she was confident that the material is irrefutable proof that Iran is disregarding its international obligations.
Although we do not know what exactly the Trump administration hopes to achieve from the visit, it is certain that it is one more step to put pressure on Iran in an effort to curb its belligerence.
The foreign minister of Iran, Mohammad Javad Zarif, said on Twitter that the Trump administration is conspiring against Iran. He wrote: “In the fake news department, Trump & Co. attempt to create an Iranphobic narrative at the UN Security Council—through wining and dining and fake ‘evidence’ provided by a warring neighbor—that would pass muster with only the same desperate neighbor & its accomplices in war crimes.”
The “warring neighbour” the foreign minster refers to is Saudi Arabia and it is true that the items were given to the US by the kingdom. Iran and Saudi Arabia have been regional rivals and the kingdom has been on the receiving end of several ballistic missiles that were fired from Yemen. It is these missiles that are thought to be supplied by Iran.
Saudi Arabia and Iran are on opposite sides of the war in Yemen that has been going on for three years. Saudi Arabia has been leading a military coalition that supports the Yemeni government. Iran is backing the Houthi rebels on the other side. The war has already claimed the lives of more than 10,000 people.
Earlier this month, a confidential report by a United Nations panel was leaked to the press. The report stated that Iran has been providing the Houthi rebels with Iranian-made missiles, including the one that was launched towards the international airport in Saudi capital Riyadh last November.
The Iranian regime is under immense pressure domestically too after millions of people took to the streets in protest against the corrupt regime that is prioritising terrorism and conflicts abroad over the needs of the people.