US Amb. to UN Nikki Haley showing Iranian-made weapons used in Middle East conflict. Photo courtesy of UNITED STATES MISSION TO THE UNITED NATIONS.
An Iranian missile was used to target an international airport in Saudi Arabia according to the United States, which offered proof last week by presenting the remains of the missile itself in a press conference. The missile, which was fired by Houthi rebels in Yemen at the Saudis, has an unusual design only used by Iran. US Representative to the United Nations Nikki Haley called the design features “essentially Iranian missile fingerprints” and used that as evidence that the missile was delivered to the Yemeni rebels by Iran. It was then used in a failed attack on an international civilian airport.
“The missile’s intended target was the civilian airport in Riyadh, through which tens of thousands of passengers travel each day,” said Haley in comments published to the US Mission to the UN website. “…Just imagine if this missile had been launched at Dulles Airport or JFK, or the airports in Paris, London, or Berlin. That’s what we’re talking about here. That’s what Iran is actively supporting.”
Haley went on to showcase material from an anti-tank missile from Iran, material from an explosive boat used for attacking ships and material from a kamikaze aerial drone. Each weapon had parts made in Iran, said Haley, including some parts made by the defense manufacturers run by Iran’s government.
As a result of this evidence and other reasons, she said the American intelligence community has concluded “unequivocally” that the weapons were delivered to the Yemen rebels by Iran’s regime.
“This evidence demonstrates a pattern of behavior in which Iran sows conflict and extremism in direct violation of UN Security Council resolutions,” said Haley. “…The evidence is undeniable. The weapons might as well have had “Made in Iran” stickers all over it.”
In addition to the evidence provided to the media, Haley also pointed to a United Nations report showing Iranian weapons deliveries and ballistic missile work as repeated examples of noncompliance with a UN resolution prohibiting such activity.
Haley said that the international nuclear deal with Iran has “done nothing to moderate” Iranian misdeeds outside the nuclear realm.
“Aid from Iran’s Revolutionary Guard to dangerous militias and terror groups is increasing,” said Haley. “Its ballistic missiles and advanced weapons are turning up in warzones across the region. It’s hard to find a conflict or a terrorist group in the Middle East that does not have Iran’s fingerprints all over it.”
Haley concluded by calling for global unity in decrying Iranian malfeasance and “resisting this global threat.”
Israel agrees. Director-General of the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs Yuval Rotem posted to Twitter in response to a video of Haley’s comments that “the strong leadership demonstrated by @USUN Ambassador @nikkihaley in exposing #Iran’s aggression should be followed by clear and decisive international action to curtail the Iranian regime’s hostile activities.”
(By Joshua Spurlock, www.themideastupdate.com, December 17, 2017)