US: Pompeo blames Iran for Yemen's civil war

By Umar Farooq</p> <p>WASHINGTON (AA) – U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Monday blamed Iran for the ongoing civil war in Yemen, despite a congressional resolution to end support for the Saudi Arabian-led coalition in the country.</p> <p>&quot;With respect to the civil war, this is Iranian-led,&quot; Pompeo said in an interview for The Hill’s Newsmaker Series.</p> <p>Saudi Arabia has been leading a coalition of countries against Houthi rebels since 2015, when Riyadh and its Sunni-Arab allies launched a massive air campaign in Yemen aimed at rolling back Houthi gains that began in 2014. </p> <p>The campaign has devastated Yemen’s infrastructure, including its health and sanitation systems, prompting the UN to describe it as one of the worst humanitarian disasters of modern times.</p> <p>Yemeni government representatives and Houthi rebel leaders held a round of UN-brokered talks in Sweden in December, which yielded a cease-fire agreement in the Red Sea province of Al-Hudaydah. </p> <p>Neither of the warring parties, however, have yet to fully withdraw from Al-Hudaydah amid tit-for-tat accusations of truce violations and sporadic clashes in other parts of the country.</p> <p>Pompeo said Houthis were not committing to any of the agreements made in Sweden, following the orders of Iran.</p> <p>He said that weapons systems being used by Houthi forces &quot;have been smuggled in by Iran&quot; and are aimed at attacking the airport in Riyadh, which means U.S. citizens flying into the country could be in danger.</p> <p>&quot;The support we are providing the Saudis as they engage with these dangerous missile systems is in America’s best interest,&quot; Pompeo said.</p> <p>Last month, the Senate voted to pass a legislation that called for the end to the U.S.'s support to the Saudi-led coalition's war efforts in Yemen. The measure alpo passed in the House but was eventually vetoed by President Donald Trump.</p> <p>Bernie Sanders, a U.S. senator and 2020 presidential candidate, rebuked the administration's support for the war, saying &quot;U.S. participation in this war has not been authorized by Congress and is therefore unconstitutional.&quot;