Special to WorldTribune.com

NICOSIA — Iran has taken credit for the training and arming of Shi’ite rebels in Yemen.

A senior military official said the Teheran regime has provided assistance to Ansar Allah, the Shi’ite rebel movement that toppled the pro-U.S. regime in Sanaa, Middle East Newsline reported.

Ansar, also called the Houthi movement, has taken over Sanaa as well as strategic ports and military bases around Yemen.

“Iran and Lebanon are directly supporting the Houthis,” the official, Ali Shirazi, said.

Shirazi has been the liaison of Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps-Quds Force to the Iranian leadership. His role was said to brief supreme leader Ali Khamenei on Quds Force operations throughout the Middle East. Quds Force has been responsible for developing such regional proxies as Hamas, Islamic Jihad and Hizbullah.

This marked the first time that Iran declared its support for the Shi’ite revolt in Yemen.

Sanaa has long accused Teheran of training and arming the rebels, who over the last year moved out of its base in the Saada province to take over northern Yemen.

“The Houthis are similar to Hizbullah in Yemen,” Shirazi said in an interview with the Iranian military newspaper on Jan. 26.

  Iran confirms: We ‘are directly supporting’ group that toppled pro-U.S. Yemen government, WorldTribune.com