Obama Warns Iran Against Sending Weapons To Rebels In Yemen; Warships Ready To 'Intercept'

U.S. President Barack Obama has warned Iran not to send weapons to Yemen that might be used to compromise shipping traffic in the region. Officials said U.S. aircraft carrier Theodore Roosevelt and a guided missile cruiser were deployed near Yemen to join other U.S. warships.

The Pentagon said earlier in the week that the presence of a large convoy of Iranian cargo ships in the Arabian Sea was one of the reasons behind the Obama administration’s decision to send more warships in the waters off Yemen, reports Reuters. The U.S. government had deployed the ships primarily as a show of force but acknowledged that they could be used to intercept any Iranian ship carrying arms to Houthi rebels in Yemen.

The deployment of U.S. warships also serves to reassure to Saudi Arabia, a U.S. ally, of its support. A U.S. official, who asked not to be named since the military operation is ongoing,believes the movement of U.S. ships was about “sending a message.” He said the U.S. is showing its allies that it is watching and willing to lend support if needed.

In a New York Times report, White House officials have admitted that they were compartmentalising policy on Iran by countering its aggressive stance in the region. Josh Earnest, the press secretary of the White House had criticised Iran’s transfer of weapons to the Houthi rebels in Yemen and called it “destabilising.”

In an interview with MSNBC, the U.S. president said Washington had sent "very direct" messages that signaled Washington's policy with Iran. “Right now their ships are in international waters. There’s a reason why we keep some of our ships in the Persian Gulf region and that is to make sure that we maintain freedom of navigation,” said Mr Obama. He added that the U.S. had sent direct messages to Iran if cargo ships will be found carrying weapons meant for factions within Yemen to be used to threaten navigation.

The Shi’ite Muslim Houthis had placed the central government in the sidelines after seizing the Yemeni capital, Sana’a, in Sept 2014 and taking control of lands in Yemen, a country bordering Saudi Arabai. Following Mr Obama’s statements, Saudi Arabia has announced it will end its air strike campaign against the Houthi rebels after bombing them for a month. The White House welcomed the announcement of Saudi Arabia pursuing a political solution to the conflict.

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