Tensions inside Yemen in line with Israel’s plot to disintegrate West Asia: Iran

Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman has warned that renewed tensions in Yemen only benefit the Israeli regime and its strategy to disintegrate the countries in West Asia.

Esmaeil Baghaei made the remarks during a press conference on Sunday, as armed clashes escalate between Saudi-backed militants and UAE-allied separatists in Yemen’s oil-rich south.

“The ongoing developments in Yemen ought to raise serious concern among regional states, for they are unfolding in line with the Zionist regime’s policy to disintegrate regional countries,” he said.

He further reiterated the importance of dialogue among Yemeni factions to secure the country’s stability, sovereignty, and territorial integrity.

Any measure that deviates from that aim, he added, serves the interests of the parties whose sole aim is sowing discord among Islamic and regional states.

UAE-backed separatists seize key provinces in eastern Yemen

In Yemen’s southeast, tensions escalate as UAE-backed separatist forces tighten their grip on key provinces.

‘Syria shouldn’t turn into terror hub’

Baghaei was also asked for a comment on the killing of three Americans by militants in Syria.

“I do not believe this development should come as a surprise to anyone,” he replied.

Syria has, over the past eight decades, lost part of its territory, including the Golan Heights, to the Zionist regime, he said.

The Arab country has also been subjected to continuous attacks by the occupying regime in recent years, particularly during the past year, since the fall of Bashar al-Assad's government on December 8, 2024, and the seizure of power by the Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) militant group.

Baghaei also warned that the persistence of Israeli crimes and assaults on Syria, together with the occupation of substantial portions of Syrian territory by different actors, including the United States, can hinder the restoration of stability and security in the country.

“Iran has repeatedly cautioned against Syria becoming a ground for the consolidation and spread of terrorism,” he said.

Armed Conflict Location and Event Data (ACLED), a US-based war monitor, has recently revealed that the Israeli military has carried out more than 600 attacks on Syria over the past year.

Despite HTS's pledges of cooperation with Tel Aviv, Israel has remained unwilling to withdraw from Syria.

‘Iran respects Taliban’s choice not to attend meeting on Afghanistan’

Additionally, in his remarks, the spokesman touched on the Meeting of the Special Representatives of Afghanistan’s Neighboring Countries + Russia, which took place in Tehran on Sunday, and the non-participation of the ruling Taliban administration in the event.

He said the purpose of the meeting was dialogue and exchange of views regarding developments in Afghanistan.

“Neighborliness is of paramount importance to us, with stability in the east being crucial. Sharing nearly 2,000 kilometers of borders with Afghanistan and Pakistan means that any tension between them inevitably impacts us, as it does other states,” he pointed out.

“We extended invitations to all concerned countries, including Afghanistan, whose participation we considered valuable for fostering understanding and resolving regional issues. However, non-participation was Afghanistan’s own decision, and we respect that choice.”

Baghaei emphasized that through such meetings, the Islamic Republic seeks to contribute to the formation of a regional consensus and help identify solutions that reinforce regional stability and security.

‘Act of state piracy’: Iran blasts illegal US seizure of Venezuelan oil tanker

Iran condemns the US Navy’s attack on a commercial vessel carrying Venezuelan oil off the coast of the South American country as an “act of state piracy,” warning about the consequences of such coercive measures.

Claims about Iran’s meddling in Venezuela’s affairs ‘utterly irrelevant’

Moreover, the spokesman rejected claims about Iran’s interference in Venezuela’s affairs as “utterly irrelevant.”

He also highlighted the United States’ long history of carrying out coups and changing national governments in Latin America.

As an independent and sovereign nation, Venezuela has the right to decide on its foreign relations and engage with the states that act toward it in accordance with mutual respect and reciprocal interests, Baghaei emphasized.

“The party that must be held accountable is the one that insists on violating the right of the Venezuelan people to self-determination and seeks to impose its views on the independent countries of the Western Hemisphere and Latin America.”

The United States has stepped up coercive pressure on Venezuela by deploying military forces to the Caribbean under the pretext of an “anti-drug trafficking” operation—claims Caracas says are unsupported by evidence.

Since September, US forces have carried out a series of deadly attacks on alleged drug boats, leaving more than 80 people dead.

Venezuelan authorities warn that the campaign is a thinly veiled act of aggression aimed at destabilizing the government, warning that Washington’s real objective is “regime change” and the eventual seizure of the country’s vast oil resources.

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