These pages have long expressed grave concern about Iran's actions in Yemen, where it has been arming Houthi rebels and bankrolling their assailment of the country's legitimate government. Over a period of months, dozens of Houthi-launched rockets have been intercepted by Saudi defence forces. Last December Nikki Haley, US ambassador to the UN, confirmed what many in this region suspected: these missiles had been supplied by Iran. The approach is familiar, as the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps spreads its destabilising influence across the region. But recent comments from Saudi Foreign Minister Adel Al Jubeir, accusing Iranian and Hezbollah agents of directly launching the latest tranche of missiles on Sunday, suggest a new and more perilous provocation.
In recent years, the Iranian regime has stepped up its involvement in Iraq, Syria and Lebanon. Yemen, where it is backing Houthi rebels, resulting in thousands dead, 8.4 million people on the brink of famine and a lethal cholera outbreak, is just one of its targets. Although they still hold the capital Sanaa, Houthi rebels have lost much of the territory they grabbed early on in the three-year war. Overwhelmed across the war-torn country by a Saudi-led coalition, they have resorted to hurling rockets into the kingdom. But this week the conflict intensified. Speaking at the UN, Mr Al Jubeir said: "Iranian ballistic missiles launched from Houthis' territory in Yemen by Iranian agents and Hezbollah agents is a stark violation of international law and UN Resolution 2216". He insisted Saudi Arabia reserved the right to respond at the "appropriate time and place". The assertion that Iranian agents themselves launched the missiles represents a disturbing change in a conflict characterised by proxies.
It is clear Iran has no interest in resolving the Yemeni civil war. And while Saudi Arabia has the right to defend itself, its leadership has shown admirable restraint in taking the matter to the UN, rather than responding in kind. Mr Al Jubeir's comments came as Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman engaged in talks with UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres to discuss the need for co-operation and dialogue to engender a political settlement in Yemen. The Saudis have pledged $930 million, alongside the UAE, to the Yemen Humanitarian Fund and will provide $70m in infrastructure assistance. Meanwhile, US Defence Secretary James Mattis confirmed the administration's support for the kingdom. The elevation of John Bolton and Mike Pompeo – who are not blind to Iranian aggression – to senior US cabinet roles is further confirmation that Washington stands with Riyadh. If, as Mr Al Jubeir suggests, Iranian agents are directly striking Saudi Arabia, it sets a dangerous new precedent. The restraint shown by the Saudis in response shows the Iranian regime for what it really is: an isolated aggressor hellbent on disrupting the region.
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MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League quarter-final, second leg (first-leg score):
Manchester City (0) v Tottenham Hotspur (1), Wednesday, 11pm UAE
Match is on BeIN Sports
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The biog
Favourite book: Men are from Mars Women are from Venus
Favourite travel destination: Ooty, a hill station in South India
Hobbies: Cooking. Biryani, pepper crab are her signature dishes
Favourite place in UAE: Marjan Island
PFA Team of the Year: David de Gea, Kyle Walker, Jan Vertonghen, Nicolas Otamendi, Marcos Alonso, David Silva, Kevin De Bruyne, Christian Eriksen, Harry Kane, Mohamed Salah, Sergio Aguero
The specs
Engine: 2-litre or 3-litre 4Motion all-wheel-drive Power: 250Nm (2-litre); 340 (3-litre) Torque: 450Nm Transmission: 8-speed automatic Starting price: From Dh212,000 On sale: Now
THE SPECS
Engine: 6.75-litre twin-turbocharged V12 petrol engine
Power: 420kW
Torque: 780Nm
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Price: From Dh1,350,000
On sale: Available for preorder now
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The smuggler
Eldarir had arrived at JFK in January 2020 with three suitcases, containing goods he valued at $300, when he was directed to a search area.
Officers found 41 gold artefacts among the bags, including amulets from a funerary set which prepared the deceased for the afterlife.
Also found was a cartouche of a Ptolemaic king on a relief that was originally part of a royal building or temple.
The largest single group of items found in Eldarir’s cases were 400 shabtis, or figurines.
Khouli conviction
Khouli smuggled items into the US by making false declarations to customs about the country of origin and value of the items.
According to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, he provided “false provenances which stated that [two] Egyptian antiquities were part of a collection assembled by Khouli's father in Israel in the 1960s” when in fact “Khouli acquired the Egyptian antiquities from other dealers”.
He was sentenced to one year of probation, six months of home confinement and 200 hours of community service in 2012 after admitting buying and smuggling Egyptian antiquities, including coffins, funerary boats and limestone figures.
For sale
A number of other items said to come from the collection of Ezeldeen Taha Eldarir are currently or recently for sale.
Their provenance is described in near identical terms as the British Museum shabti: bought from Salahaddin Sirmali, "authenticated and appraised" by Hossen Rashed, then imported to the US in 1948.
- An Egyptian Mummy mask dating from 700BC-30BC, is on offer for £11,807 ($15,275) online by a seller in Mexico
- A coffin lid dating back to 664BC-332BC was offered for sale by a Colorado-based art dealer, with a starting price of $65,000
- A shabti that was on sale through a Chicago-based coin dealer, dating from 1567BC-1085BC, is up for $1,950
Five films to watch
Castle in the Sky (1986)
Grave of the Fireflies (1988)
Only Yesterday (1991)
Pom Poki (1994)
The Tale of Princess Kaguya (2013)
