Former Yemeni Ambassador: Assad Regime Was a Direct Threat to Yemen's National Security and a Key Supporter of the Houthis

Dr. Abd al-Wahhab Tufaf, former Yemeni Ambassador to Syria, stated that the regime of the fugitive ex-president Bashar al-Assad was a direct threat to Yemen's national security, turning Syria into an open arena for hostile activities against Yemen.

Tufaf pointed out that in 2015, the Assad government handed over Yemen's embassy in Damascus to the Houthi militia, in blatant violation of international norms, United Nations charters, and Arab League agreements, severely damaging the historical relations between the two countries.

The former ambassador also clarified that the Syrian regime facilitated the operations of Houthi leaders in Syrian territory, in coordination with the Iranian regime and Lebanese Hezbollah, contributing to the destabilization of Yemen's national security and weakening the efforts of the legitimate government.

Tufaf emphasized that the Assad regime was a key supporter of the Alawite-Hassimi state project led by Iran, which aimed to impose Iranian influence over the Arabian Peninsula, making Yemen one of the primary victims of this sectarian project.

Finally, Tufaf affirmed that the Yemeni government took a firm stance in support of the Syrian popular revolution, in line with its national interests and its efforts to safeguard Yemen's security and stability, in harmony with the aspirations of the Syrian people for freedom and stability.