Iran supplies Houthis with weapons: French minister

By Hajer M'tiri

PARIS (AA) - Iran is supplying weapons to Houthi rebels during its three-year fight against the Saudi Arabia-led coalition in Yemen, Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said on Thursday.

Le Drian's comments came days after Saudi cities, including capital Riyadh came under fire Sunday night, leaving one person dead and two others injured in the attacks.

"There is a problem in Yemen: it is that the political process has not begun, that Saudi Arabia feels regularly attacked by the Houthis, who are themselves supplied with arms by Iran," the foreign minister told RTL radio.

Yemen has been wracked by conflict since 2014, when Houthi rebels overran much of the country, including capital Sanaa.

The following year, Saudi Arabia and its Arab allies launched a massive air campaign aimed at rolling back Houthi gains and shoring up the pro-Saudi government.

Riyadh has repeatedly accused the Houthis of acting as a proxy force for Shia Iran, Saudi Arabia’s arch-foe in the region.

Amnesty International said last week the weapons provided by France, along with the U.S. and Britain, to Saudi Arabia had contributed to the deaths of thousands of civilians in attacks by coalition forces.

However, the French minister said: "We have a very rigorous framework on weapon exports which we adhere to with great vigilance."