Free Republic

Are there cracks in the alliance between Tehran and the Houthi militia that has taken over large parts of Yemen? According to a report in the Wall Street Journal, the Houthis are seeking the expulsion of Iranian ambassador to Sanaa, Hassan Arlo. In order for this to happen, the Houthis are seeking permission from Saudi Arabia to lift the one-time flight ban and allow the flight to Tehran. This is no small matter, the Iranian "ambassador" is a senior member of the Revolutionary Guards who was smuggled into Yemen last year and is considered the most senior representative of the...

Iran has implied that its regional foe, Saudi Arabia, may have blocked efforts to save the life of its ambassador to Yemen, who contracted coronavirus there but was unable to be repatriated immediately for urgent medical treatment. Riyadh controls the airspace around the Yemeni capital, Sana’a, and the ambassador was flown out on an Iraqi military aircraft after negotiations by the Oman government with Saudi Arabia. The Wall Street Journal had reported that Riyadh said there were no signs the ambassador was seriously ill and that in return for allowing Irlu to leave Yemen, Riyadh had asked the Houthis to...

Iranian envoy in Yemen is dead - and why that is important news Yoni Ben Menachem 15:00 an hour ago Said Khatibzadeh, a spokesman for the Iranian Foreign Ministry, announced this morning the death of Hassan Arlo, his country's ambassador to the Houthis in Yemen, due to "complications of contracting the corona virus." Khatibazadeh said Arlo contracted corona in Yemen "but returned to Iran in poor health because some countries refused to cooperate to bring him back to Iran for treatment." This is a severe blow to Iran, this man has waged an entire campaign in Yemen and not only,...