U.S. says seriously takes `possible Iran part in Yemen conflict`

WASHINGTON, Oct. 08
(Saba) - The U.S. announced on Thursday its concern about external interference in
Yemen's
affairs, saying it seriously takes possible Iranian support for the insurgency in
the north. The announcement was made in a press conference by U.S. Assistant
Secretary of
State for Near Eastern Affairs Jeffrey Feltman. The U.S. has heard about
possibilities that Iran supported the Houthi rebels in northern Yemen, Feltman said,
adding because
of Iran's suspicious role in the region, the U.S. seriously looks into such aid.
Iran is not a helpful state and had negative roles in other countries in the region,
he
said. Feltman, however, hoped that Iran is not involved in the year-long fighting
between the government forces and the Houthi rebels in Saada that have killed many
and displaced
more than 150.000 people. Moreover, he renewed the U.S. call for an immediate end to
the conflict, voicing his country's concern about the civilians affected by it and
offering
sympathy over the victims. Yemen has accused Iranian bodies of aiding the
insurgents, with officials topped by President Saleh saying the Iranian official
side is not part
in support. Days ago, Yemen commented on the accounts of an Egyptian writer who said
that the Iranian embassy was recruiting Yemeni students in Egypt for the insurgency
in
the north, saying the accounts were added to already registered evidence on Iran's
involvement in the conflict between the army and the rebels. Deputy Editor-in-chief
of
the Egyptian Al-Ayyam Newspaper Hassan Abu Talib, who is specialized in Yemen
affairs, said that the Cultural Attaché at Iran's Cairo embassy brought some Yemeni
students
into Iran and visited others in Egypt. The goal was to mobilize the Yemeni students
to support the Houthis. FR