Danny Danon, the Israeli ambassador to the United Nations, hit back at Iran on Thursday after the Islamic Republic denied responsibility for arming the Houthi rebels in Yemen with ballistic missiles and other advanced weaponry.
“I am not surprised that the Iranian representative was distressed when we exposed the Iranian terror machine operating in Yemen,” he stated. “The Islamic Republic is the last nation that can preach morality—this is a regime that finances, arms and operates terrorist groups that are setting the Middle East aflame.”
“We do not shy away from threats and will not remain silent in the face of Iranian attempts at incitement and lies,” he said. “When the Iranian regime creates chaos and manipulates proxies into terrorist puppets, we will continue to protect our citizens and stand up to any threat with determination and strength.”
On Monday, Iran’s U.N. representative, Amir Saeid Iravani, wrote to the U.N. Security Council and António Guterres, the U.N. secretary-general, to accuse Israel, the United States and the United Kingdom of trying to “scapegoat” Iran at a Security Council meeting about Yemen earlier that day.
“Accusations of Iranian interference in the Red Sea are baseless fabrications designed to inflame tensions and serve as a pretext for further destabilization of the region by the United States and its allies,” Iravani wrote. “The Security Council must not be swayed by Israel’s propaganda, which seeks to divert attention from the ongoing atrocities and ethnic cleansing by this apartheid regime in Gaza.”
He added that Iran “categorically denies” violating a U.N. arms embargo on the Houthis and said that accusations that Iran was interfering in Yemen were “baseless fabrications.”
The United States and its partners have long alleged that Iran is the main supplier and sponsor of the Houthis, based on the similarity of the weapons systems they use and arms seized in the Red Sea. Iran’s use of smugglers and cutouts has made smoking-gun evidence elusive.
Barbara Woodward, the U.K. ambassador to the United Nations, said on Monday that Iran’s role in backing the Houthis is “clear.”
“Iran bears responsibility for the actions of its proxies, and it must cease its illegal activity which is destabilizing the region and threatening international peace and stability,” she said. “Its longstanding financial and military support to the Houthis has enabled and exacerbated Houthi aggression.”
In his speech to the council on Monday, Danon said that if the Houthis don’t cease their attacks on Israel, they will be eliminated, just as Israel killed the leaders of other terrorist groups that threatened the Jewish state.
“Let this be your final warning,” Danon said. “This is not a threat, it is a promise: You will share the same miserable fate.”
The Security Council will meet on Friday morning in an emergency session about Israeli attacks on the Kamal Adwan Hospital in northern Gaza at the request of Algeria, which serves as the Arab and Muslim world’s de facto Security Council member.
“Hamas cynically exploits civilian buildings for terrorist purposes and uses civilians as human shields. All of Israel’s actions in the Gaza Strip are consistent with international law,” Danon said. “We will continue to take all necessary measures to protect Israeli citizens. We will continue to fight until all the hostages return home.”
