Tehran’s support of the Houthi is a big worry

The destabilisation in Yemen proves that the Iranian government under the supposedly ‘moderate’ Hassan Rouhani is as threatening to peace in the Middle East as any of his more overtly anti-western predecessors. Human Rights Watch has accused the Iranian-sponsored Houthi rebels “of possible war crimes, including using snipers to shoot civilians”.

The Houthi-led insurrection should disabuse the notion that Tehran is under a more benign Shia regime. Regarding America’s determination to secure a nuclear treaty with Tehran, if President Barack Obama cannot discern the danger of Iranian-linked terror groups to the fragile geo-political position of the region, then perhaps the inflammatory words of politician, Alaedin Boroujerdi, should give them pause for reflection.

However, in his determination to secure a nuclear treaty with the Iranians and to build a legacy as the man who brought the Iranians to heel, Obama seems oblivious to the Houthi’s barbaric violations against a defenceless population.

The Tehran regime may appear more rational and open to dialogue with the West, but it’s fundamental ambition is to become the region’s dominant power. The emphasis on the nuclear aspect of Iranian power ignores the reality that Tehran is sponsoring Shia militias throughout the Middle East, which, as the fall of Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi’s government proves, is, in the immediate term at least, a far more potent threat to stability than a future nuclear capability.

Dr. Kevin McCarthy

Kinsale

Co Cork