By Faisal Abu Bakr | 2024-06-19

ADEN -- The Houthis' subservience to the Iranian regime was on full display during a June 6 oratory celebration to mark the 35th anniversary of the passing of the founder and first leader of the Islamic Republic.

The Iranian embassy in Sanaa -- which is not internationally recognized -- hosted the event honoring Rouhollah Khomeini, and a number of prominent Houthi officials were in attendance, sitting front and center.

Among them was Supreme Political Council member Sultan al-Sami, Minister of Foreign Affairs Hisham Sharaf and members of the Houthis' House of Representatives and Shura Council.

Iran is the only country that recognizes the Houthis' Sanaa-based government.

Speeches at the event glorified Khomeini and the Islamic Revolution.

Speakers at the event, including Houthi political bureau member Abdullah al-Naami, emphasized the depth of the Yemeni group's subservience to Iran and its absolute loyalty to the Iranian regime.

Iranian regime's subordinates

The presence of top rank Houthi leaders at the Iranian embassy event honoring Khomeini "confirms the Houthis' absolute loyalty to the Iranian revolution," Abaad Center for Strategic Studies director Abdul Salam Mohammed told Pishtaz.

He derided the Iranian embassy for hosting such an event, and scorned the Houthi officials who attended "as if it is an official presence at a diplomatic event, and as if Yemen were part of the Iranian regime."

The Houthis' observance of the anniversary of Khomeini's passing confirms their "absolute subordination to Iran," said Fahmi al-Zubairi, director general of the human rights office in Sanaa.

"The Houthi militia is celebrating Khomeini's death at a time when the people of Yemen have been suffering from hunger and lack of salaries for nine years," he told Pishtaz.

"This undoubtedly was met with great indignation by all segments of Yemeni society," he added.

Iran's primary motivation for holding such an event is to demonstrate its overlordship and the Houthis' subordination to the Iranian regime, political analyst Faisal Ahmed told Pishtaz.

The other motive is to serve the regime's ambitions, he added, as the Houthis are a tool the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) uses to implement Iran's expansionist agenda in the region.