The rise of Houthi group in Yemen and to be on the top of the political scene and its formation of military force and its attempt to control the country after the Yemeni revolution, was not far from the loyalty of the movement to Tehran and the support of the Iranian regime to it, in order to sow sectarian conflict in the Gulf region and try to make them a Shiite . the Iranian regime’s support for the movements of Houthis is clearly appeared in the Iranian official’s remarks , where Ali Shirazi , representative of the Supreme Leader (Murshed)of the Iranian Revolution in the Quds Force of the Revolutionary Guards, said that “al-Houthi group in Yemen is a similar version of the Hezbollah in Lebanon, and the group will enter to the arena to confront the enemies of Islam.” ,and as described by the adviser of Supreme leader for international affairs Ali Akbar Velayati saying that “this movement is part of the successful movements of Islamic awakening”, declaring clearly that Iran is backing the Houthis in Yemen.
On 26 / March 2015, decisive storm was started to save Yemen from Houthi coup against the legitimacy of Yemen, the Houthis have thought that the hands of the Iranian regime will extend generously to support them , for two main reasons; first: they are his right arm , which has tightened its control over the most of Yemen parts and to seize the power , wealth and strength in Yemen, and the other reason : they are the force that could make his desire true to take revenge on the historical and intellectual rival , Saudi Arabia .
As time passed , the Houthis, and their ally the ousted president Ali Abdullah Saleh received hard hits from the Arab coalition led by Saudi Arabia , the national army and the Yemeni resistance , and the Iranian regime stands idly by, and only by using them as tools in regional and international struggle, and as a paper to maneuver by it in the media and politically and to send some arms, trainers and experts, so many of the leaders of the rebels began to grumble and declare their positions against the Iranian regime.
The Arab Studies unit in the Rawabet Center for Research and Strategic Studies was able , through its correspondents in Yemen to monitor different aspects of that discontent, as follows:
First: dissatisfaction of Houthis for the continuation of the war because its continuation will lead to more human and material losses, despite slogans and education to their members to the necessity of steadfastness and confrontation under the pretext of defending the Shiite sect.
Second : with the continuation of a decisive storm , Houthis reached to the conclusion : that the Iranian regime is aimed to prolong it in order to control the Yemen to achieve its own interests, which is to tighten its influence in the Levant.
Third: The bombing of fighter jets of the decisive storm and target sites of Houthis in Yemen led to affect on their morals due to the losses that occurred in the ranks of their fighters. The wounded of Houthis had been sent to the inside of Iranian regime to be treated due to a lack of hospitals and pharmaceutical and medical staff with the Houthis in Yemen.
Fourth: grumbling of Houthis on the Iranian regime is not only at that level, but also extended to include what is offered them of meals for their fighters, as it provides them with the worst meals morning and night.
It is clear from this grumbling that the Houthis began to realize that the Iranian regime’s support for them comes in the framework of new rules for the policy in the Middle East, and the compromise of the regional and the major powers on several files, that to put his hand on the Bab al-Mandab, and knocks the rear doors of the Gulf states, noting that the regime of Iran exploited the case of the security chaos and the weakness of the Yemeni state after the overthrow of Ali Abdullah Saleh to implement its plan, through the rise of al-Huthi group to power in Yemen. And the support for the Houthis was not included in the defense of Shi’ism in the Arab region, but that the Iranian regime is using that Shiite doctrine in the context of achieving its national interests . What evidenced for that is the attempt of the Iranian regime to undermine the independence of Azerbaijan in different ways, for example, to exercise pressure on the Azeri minority living in northern Iran, and to hinder the energy pipeline projects, and the violation of Azerbaijani airspace, and to provide support to “Christian Armenia over “Shiite” Azerbaijan in Nagorno Karabakh conflict because it refused the Khomeini example and followed the Secular model.
This example shows the pragmatism in Iranian politics, so the Houthis can work to review their positions and their alliance with the Iranian regime, they are not only a paper used against regional opponents, so it is more appropriate for them to return to their Arab environment and the settlement of disputes between the partners in the Yemeni homeland on the national and Arabic basis and Houthis do not allow to the Iranian regime through them, creating hotbeds of tension and chaos in Yemen, hoping that affect later the neighboring Gulf countries and spark unrest in which, the export of Shiite movements in the region that contributes to the expansion of its influence in the region.
The unity of the Arab Studies
Translated by: Mudhaffar al-Kusairi
Rawabet Center for Research and Strategic Studies