In another flagrant breach of United Nations resolutions, an Iranian ship, loaded with advanced weapons, was stopped on the coast of Yemen by the United States Navy last week.

The weapons and weapon components, believed to be of Iranian “design and manufacture” intended for Al Houthi militias in Yemen, were seized by the US Navy, according to reports.

The shipment is said to include dozens of Iranian-made copies of the Russian Kornet anti-tank guided missile and three Iranian-designed and manufactured surface-to-air missiles. The UN has repeatedly said its peace talks are progressing, following a de-escalation agreement reached in Stockholm over Al Hodeida port.

The agreement, signed in December 2018, was supposed to allow the UN to supervise the port’s facilities to speed up aid operations and stop the Al Houthis from smuggling weapons. The Al Houthis reneged on the deal and continue to use the port to smuggle advanced weapons, sent by their Iranian backers despite the embargo imposed by the UN.

The Saudi-led Arab coalition and the legitimate Yemeni government have significantly reduced their military operations in the past 12 months in the hope that a political deal, sought by the UN and supported by the US and other international players, would be reached to end the five-year-war that led to unprecedented human catastrophe in the poor Arab country.

The Arab coalition managed to liberate more than 85 per cent of Yemeni territory from the brutal grip of Al Houthi militias. Vital aid supplies now can be delivered smoothly to those liberated areas. Normal life is being slowly but steadily restored.