Imam Khomeini’s legacy firmly binds Yemen with Iran

Just recently, a high-ranking official of the legitimate Sana’a-based government of Yemen visited Iran held talks with senior Iranian officials including the Leader.

The recent visit of a high-ranking official of the legitimate Sana’a-based government of Yemen to Iran, and his talks with senior Iranian officials, including an audience with the Leader of the Islamic Revolution, Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, has made observers point out that natural development cannot for long be suppressed nor truth can be concealed forever.

Here’s comments in Iran’s English press in this regard. First we present you excerpts from a Viewpoint written by columnist S. Nawabzadeh for Iran’s English language daily ‘Kayhan International’ on Thursday August 15, titled: “Imam Khomeini’s Legacy Firmly Binds Yemen with Iran”.

S. Nawabzadeh recalled: “In 1980 when President Ali Abdullah Saleh of what was then the ‘Yemen Arab Republic’ (informally ‘North Yemen’) severed diplomatic ties with Iran, citing his friendship with Saddam of the repressive Ba’th minority regime of Baghdad, he was neither supporting any efforts at Arab unity nor was he apprehensive of Tehran’s thriving economic ties with his rivals in Aden, the capital of ‘People's Democratic Republic of Yemen’ (informally ‘South Yemen’).

“He was rather scared of the attraction of the predominantly Zaydi Muslims of the country he ruled for the magnetic personality of the Father of the Islamic Revolution, Imam Seyyed Rouhallah Khomeini al-Musavi (RA), since according to the Zaydi doctrine any virtuous descendant of Hazrat Fatema Zahra (peace upon her) – the Impeccable Daughter of Prophet Muhammad (blessings of God upon him and his progeny) – who rises against tyranny, is the “Imam of the Age”.

“A horrified Saddam had told an equally terrified Saleh of the necessity of war to overthrow, or at least undermine, the Islamic Republic, in order to crush the aspirations for revolutions on the Iranian model, of the “Ithna Ash’ari” (Twelver) Muslims of Iraq and the Zaydi Muslims of Yemen, whose success would sound the death knell for all the British-created non-entities in the region, especially Saudi Arabia and Bahrain.

“This was also sensed by the US and the illegal Zionist entity, but so strong was (and is) the satanic urge in these two powers, that they resorted and continue to resort, to every devilish design, despite their string of failures, to try to prevent the Islamic Republic of Iran’s steadily growing influence in the region and beyond.”

According to S. Nawabzadeh in his Viewpoint Column for Kayhan International: “It was crystal, however, to that Sage of the Age, Imam Khomeini, who in fact was a humble follower of the real and rightful Lord of the Age, Imam Mahdi (AS – may God hasten his reappearance for establishing the global government of peace, prosperity, and justice), that sooner or later, not just the people of Iraq, Yemen, Palestine and Lebanon, but all over the Muslim World, will sooner or later rise up to reassert their rights by throwing off the yoke of tyrannical regimes and the hegemony of Washington.

“Right, however, cannot be suppressed for long by might. It is now history how Saddam having lost his 8-year war (of the 1980s), met his ignominious end on the gallows (in December 2006) after hiding in a foxhole, while the Iraqi people with the support of their Iranian brethren have become masters of their own destiny – offering in the process thousands of martyrs to the Islamic cause when confronted by the American occupation which was followed by the abortive bid of the macabrely murderous Takfiri terrorists to take over the country with Saud assistance.

“If the Zionists have met more than their match in Lebanon and in Gaza against the determined Resistance Front, in Yemen also, the political landscape has positively changed with the popular Ansarallah Movement dedicating thousands of martyrs to blunt the US-backed Saudi-Emirati bombing and the bid to divide the country into South and North again (after the 1990 unification), while the traitorous Saleh lost his miserable life in December 2017 as he tried to flee to the enemies of his own homeland.”

As noted by S. Nawabzadeh in Kayhan International: “This reality was fully evident earlier this week on Tuesday, August 13, in Tehran when the Spokesman of Yemen's legal government, Mohammad Abdus-Salaam, while presenting the letter of the Leader of the Ansarallah Movement, Seyyed Abdul-Malik Badreddin al-Houthi, to the Leader of the Islamic Revolution, Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, did not mince words when he said on behalf of the indomitable mujahideen of his country:

“We consider your leadership to be the continuation of that of Prophet of Islam and of the Commander of the Faithful Imam Ali ibn Abi Taleb (AS). And we believe your stance is inspired by Imam Ali (AS) in support of the oppressed people of Yemen in accordance with Imam Khomeini, and is thus a source of blessing and very heartwarming.”

In the words of the Kayhan International columnist: “To the exasperation of the Americans, the British, the Zionists, the Saudis, and all other reactionary forces trying in vain to dent the invincibility of the Resistance Movement (as Saleh and Saddam roll in agony in their graves) Ayatollah Khamenei, confident of the victory of the Yemeni people, promised continued Iranian assistance to their just cause, and called on all Yemenis – whether Shi’a or Sunni – to knit ranks to rid their country of the aggressors, to resolve their differences through inter-Yemeni talks, and to preserve the unity of the historic land which was enlightened with Islam by the peaceful efforts of the Prophet’s Vicegerent, Imam Ali (AS).”   

On the same topic, Hamed Sheikhpour in his opinion column in Tehran Times, titled: “Critical points in the meeting between Yemeni Delegation and the Leader of the Islamic Revolution”, wrote: The meeting was particularly important, since it was the first time that Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei had a face to face meeting with a spokesperson of a people-based resistant movement of Yemen.

He wrote the intimated and warm meeting was significant from several aspects, such as:

It was held in one of the most critical points in Yemen’s modern history. Four years and four months of brutal attacks, the invaders of Yemen are now starting to turn on each other as their alliance is falling apart. Last week, the last strongholds of Saudi Arabia in Yemen fell to their closes ally, the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Saudis also lost the control of Aden which was previously the capital of Mansour Hadi’s puppet regime.

During the meeting, a letter from Seyyed Abdul-Malik al-Houthi, the Leader of Ansarullah was handed to the Leader of the Islamic Revolution who immediately opened the letter and read it. Obviously, the Leader could have read the message later but he did this in front of the TV cameras as a gesture to show his affection for the revolutionary movement of Yemen. Contrary to this, two months ago when the Japanese Prime Minister tried to deliver a message from the United States president to the Leader, he refused to receive the message altogether.

Tehran Times pointed out: Mohammed Abdus-Salaam, the spokesman for Ansarullah delivered the warm regards of the movement’s leader, Seyyed Abdul-Malik al-Houthi and other Yemeni people who are fighting the invaders. He told the Leader of the Islamic Revolutoin, “We regard your leadership as the continuing leadership after the Prophet of Islam and his successor Imam Ali (AS). Your attitude of seeking justice for the oppressed Yemenis is the same policy of Imam Ali (AS) and the Father of the Islamic Revolution, Imam Khomeini; this is indeed the source of great blessing and hope for all the people.”

For his turn, Ayatollah Khamenei said: “Every devoted nation which believes in God and the reality of divine promises, will definitely win. On this basis, victory will surely be with the oppressed and faithful people of Yemen.”

The Tehran Times writer said: It is not the first time that the Leader is making such as firm prediction, as he made the same true promise before Lebanon’s Hezbollah went into its 33-day war with the Zionists.

Ayatollah Khamenei also warned about the danger of Yemen’s division. He said that invaders including Saudi Arabia and UAE are trying to divide Yemen, but the people should stand firmly against this scheme and defend a united, undivided and autonomous Yemen.

Ayatollah Khamenei added protecting the Yemeni territorial integrity in view of its diverse religious diversity entails intra-Yemeni dialogue.

The people-based government of Yemen constitutes of Ansarullah and its other revolutionary allies including the Executive, the Parliament and public committees and organizations that were established after the revolution, whether or not Saudi Arabia and its allies in the Arab-Muslim world and the West, accept it and continue to blindly support the fugitive Mansour Hadi, who was not even based in Yemen.

In the words of the Tehran Times writer: The meeting between the Leader of the Islamic Revolution and the Ansarullah delegation was an ending to the policy of ignoring the legal government of Yemen which is born out of revolution and changing its De facto status to a De jure one in both regional and international arenas.

AS/EA