Tim Lenderking, the US special envoy for Yemen, told a Senate subcommittee on Tuesday that Iran’s was “equipping and facilitating” the Houthi rebels attacks on international shipping in the red sea, which have triggered retaliatory US and British strikes on Yemen.
Lenderking added “Credible public reports suggest a significant number of Iranian and Lebanese Hezbollah operatives are supporting Houthi attacks from inside Yemen”.
The White House said in December that Iran was “deeply involved” in planning the attacks, which the Houthis say are acts of solidarity with the Palestinians in the Israel-Hamas war.
Lenderking acknowledged that the rebels have not been deterred saying “ the fact that they continue this, and have said publicly that they will not stop until there’s a ceasefire in Gaza, is an indication that we’re not yet at the point, unfortunately, where they do intend to dial back,”.
The bombing campaign drew skepticism from some senators from Biden’s Democratic Party.
Chris Murphy, who heads the Senate Foreign Relations subcommittee on Middle East, agreed that the United States has “an obligation to respond” to attacks on shipping but added, “I do worry about the efficacy.”