The activities of Yemen’s Houthis are aimed at advancing Tehran’s regional interests and pose a threat to security in the Middle East.

Axar.az reports that Afrah al-Zouba, the first woman to head Yemen’s Foreign Ministry, told Asharq Al-Awsat in her first interview since taking on the challenging portfolio.

According to her, Iran attempts to turn Yemen and its strategic location into a platform for threatening neighboring countries, ships, ports, and maritime routes.

She cited attacks reaching Mokha port and efforts to turn the Red Sea, Bab al-Mandab, and the Gulf of Aden into “arenas for pressure and coercion.”

Al-Zouba noted that the escalation came while political efforts were still under way, led by Saudi efforts to return to a political track.

“There are no domestic reasons or developments that explain this escalation,” she added.