Former Yemeni Ambassador: Iranian Police is Responsible for Break in Attempts on Embassies

Abdullah al-Siri, Former Yemeni Ambassador to Tehran, said that Iranian police department has partaken in opening up the embassy center of Yemen, after it had been evacuated due to Yemen cutting diplomatic ties with Iran last October.

Moreover, it has supported the insurgents in Yemen by finding them a foothold center in Iran; the embassy has been transformed into a meeting center for their gatherings.

Ambassador al-Siri, in a phone call interview with Asharq Al-Awsat, clarified that a several Arabian ambassadors in Iran have taken the decision on not dealing with any person that proves loyal to the insurgents in Yemen, and, or has been working at the Yemeni embassy in Tehran after the cutting of diplomatic ties.

The embassy’s diplomatic staff had included those who were loyal to the Houthi militia and followers of Ali Abdullah Saleh, and have chosen to remain in Iran even after they were ordered otherwise.

“Consequentially, many workings were hidden from me, in fear of me looking into them, for example letters that were sent to other legitimate governments and Arabian ambassadors” al-Siri elaborated.

Al-Siri also pointed out that Abdelmoun’aam Ahriz, Algerian Ambassador in Iran, has “dismissed one of the Yemeni embassy members in Tehran from an official occasion held at the Algerian embassy in Tehran”, he also added that the incident happened, “on the same day of me leaving after cutting diplomatic ties with Iran, the diplomat had taken the invitation over from my office without my knowledge, and he then planned to represent the Yemeni Embassy at the gathering”.

“The Yemeni embassy in Tehran has been evacuated and the flag lowered, and the diplomatic mission there was requested to leave Iranian grounds. Despite me leaving Iran, other staff workers at the embassy had stayed there; Houthi militias have came in to Tehran one after the other, and thus transformed the embassy into a center for the rebels.” He added.

Al-Siri held the Iranian police responsible for anything that any embassy is subjected to in Iran. As he further clarified that there is an Iranian police officer standing at the gates of every single embassy in Iran.