Drone displays Iran’s hand

The UAE air force has destroyed an Iranian-made drone in Yemen. Why was it there?

Arab Coalition Forces with the help of the UAE Air Force destroys an Iranian-made unmanned aircraft in Mokha, Yemen (WAM)

In the week since the coalition against the Houthi rebels and supporters of Yemen’s former president Ali Abdullah Saleh took back control of the port of Mokha, they have been seeking to clean up pockets of resistance around the area.

A few days ago, Yemeni surveillance spotted and tracked a rebel team seeking to launch an Iranian-made drone to target government troops. In response, the team contacted the UAE Air Force in the area, which destroyed it with a missile.

That such technology has made it into the hands of the Houthi rebels is deeply worrying. Iranian drones are hardly at the cutting edge of military technology, but they can do damage and in the hands of the rebels they can cost lives.

For many months, the Arab coalition has pointed out how Iran is backing the rebels, smuggling in weapons and cash to keep the conflict burning. The result has been the devastation of large parts of Yemen and widespread instability.

The instability in Yemen has halted the transition away from the presidency of Mr Saleh. It has weakened, and sought to usurp, the legitimate authority of the presidency, putting power into the hands of rebel groups. A country such as Yemen, which faces many threats, political, economic and environmental, requires a stable government. Only when the rebel insurgency ends will that be possible.

Now, as the coalition pushes up along the Red Sea coast and has made gains, the Iranian backers appear to be stepping up their cooperation with the Houthi rebels, seeking to reverse their loses and stop the coalition retaking further strategic cities, such as Hodeidah. This comes just as Iran has provocatively test-fired a missile, violating a UN resolution on ballistic weapons tests.

This Iranian interference brings no benefit to Yemen’s people and poses a significant threat to the country and to its neighbours. The contrast between the two sides is stark: while Yemeni government troops and the UAE are seeking to use their technology to liberate the country, Iran is giving its technology to rebels determined to rob Yemen’s people of a future.