TEHRAN — Iran’s Ambassador to Sana’a, Hassan Irlou, has highlighted the Islamic Republic’s full support for the Yemeni people, saying Iran is determined to develop its ties with the Arab country.

Iran will spare no effort to support the Yemeni people and transfer experiences in all fields, Irlou said on Saturday, Fars reported.

The ambassador made the remarks in a meeting with Speaker of the House of Representatives of Yemen Yahya Ali al-Raee.

He pointed to granting of more scholarship to Yemeni students in all fields and promised to develop bilateral relations in various fields.

Yahya Ali al-Raee, for his part, appreciated Iran's role in supporting the Yemeni people and standing by the country against the aggressors, stressing that his nation will never forget Iran's honorable position.

In a tweet on Thursday, Irlou had strongly deplored the Saudi regime for 6 years of aggression against the Yemeni people and destruction of the infrastructures of the country, emphasizing that the country’s people will stand steadfastly against the aggressive and criminal Saudi regime till gaining victory.   

Irlou has recently been appointed as Iran’s ambassador to Yemen. On November 4, he submitted his credentials to Mahdi al-Mashat, the president of the Supreme Political Council of Yemen.

The appointment of Irlou sparked a wave of speculation among some regional players who have seen the appointment of the new ambassador as a step toward strengthening ties between Tehran and Sanaa.

“The [Iranian] ambassador’s return [to Yemen] posed a strong challenge to them that they could not justify, but rather failed to do so,” the ambassador said of these players without naming them.

He added, “They are trying, through their media, to strip the ambassador of his diplomatic status. They use disinformation and lies, and they say that Sanaa is Iran's tool.”

Foreign Minister Mohamad Javad Zarif has elaborated on the appointment of Irlou, saying Iran has already had an embassy in the Yemeni capital, and Iran has appointed a new ambassador to Yemen because Iran’s former ambassador there had become sick.

“Relations between Iran and Yemen are good and strategic. The Iranian embassy was located in Sanaa, although it was not possible to travel for a while, but we had an ambassador in Sanaa,” the chief Iranian diplomat said on November 3.

MH/PA