Once again, Gulf leaders are left wondering what exactly Tehran is playing at. As the Saudi-led intervention against the Houthi rebels continues, Iran has sent a flotilla of ships towards Yemen. At the moment, both the US and the Gulf countries are being cautious and refusing to speculate openly about what may be on the ships and where they may be headed. But America is taking no chances: a US aircraft carrier is heading to the Gulf of Aden to keep an eye on Iran’s ships.
Behind the scenes, there are rumours that the Iranian ships are carrying weapons destined for the Houthi rebels or allies of the former president Ali Abdullah Saleh, in particular surface-to-air missiles that could neutralise the advantage of Saudi Arabia’s fighter jets.
But let's set the speculation aside and look only at the facts. Iran is engaged in talks with the international community over its nuclear programme. One of the big stumbling blocks could reasonably be said to be opposition from the Gulf states. At this time, the Houthi rebels, backed clandestinely by Iran, have destabilised an Arab country, one of pivotal importance to the Gulf states. And yet, the foreign minister of Iran, writing in The New York Times two days ago, had the hypocrisy to say Iran offered "a reasonable and practical approach" towards "this unnecessary crisis". The unnecessary crisis, of course, being the instigating and arming of the Houthi rebels – a rebellion, bear in mind, that sought to first take over the capital and the country, and then tried to assassinate the president. To add actions to words, Iran then sends a flotilla of ships towards the war zone, apparently in support of the rebels.
What are the Gulf countries to make of this: first instigation, then hypocrisy, then overt military movement? The Gulf countries have long said that an Iran freed of sanctions would be more, not less, belligerent, in its approaches to its neighbours. If Iran thought it could convince the Gulf countries of its peaceful intentions, perhaps sending nine ships to Aden wasn’t the best way to do that.
