Al-IMAMAH – The Shared History Between Iran and Yemen

The Rulings, Fatwas, Policies, and Opinions of the two countries’ Imams – in both Yemen and Persia – were applicable to all who belonged to the approved sect in both countries, wherever the sect unification existed, as it issued from one common religious school, transcending the regions borders, and the peculiarity of national and tribal components applied to all, that is a short view; Because the divisions that appear are a good indication of destabilizing the security and stability of peoples, thus are reflected in the foreign relations.

It is not possible to ignore many signs and evidence that indicate the existence of a relationship between Yemen and Iran, whether at the level of slogans and discourse, or at the practical level, the most recent of which is the flights between Sanaa and Tehran twice a day, on the other hand, it is noted that the two countries do not have any commercial, economic or social relations whatsoever. So, what are the reasons for these trends since the end of the last century, especially after the collapse of the Soviet Union, and the change in political relations and common interests?

Yemen’s relations with Iran vary; it constitutes an extension of the Imamah that ruled Yemen for hundreds of years, also the movement expansion was a result of internal factors related to the nature of revenge conflicts between the various political parties where each party used a tool to take revenge against the other until the group grew up within both countries during a great political vacuum.

On the contrary, the rise of voices in Yemen is reflected by slogans and types of rhetoric that pretend to fight the imperialism and colonialism forces, but its practical movements say: It is nothing but a military force that seeks to control the rule alone in Yemen – The Dominant Groups -, despite the emergence of activities in which the tones of anti-American rhetoric, for instance, but we find that they show good intentions to cooperate with it in the fight against terrorism, that rhetoric did not go beyond the its loud. Likewise, the dominant forces in Yemen try to pretend to adhere to the declared agreements with neighboring countries, especially the securing borders issue, except in the event of a setback in those agreements during the war, but in short, the group of Yemeni and the Imamiyah do not only seek a regional role, furthermore we find that Iran does not have interests to maintain in Yemen, but rather it considers that it is as to set foot in a region in which Iran sees a front to drain neighboring countries without any risks that reflected on it with a low cost, that is all under the umbrella of the “Common Imamah” “Religious sentiment and its reflection are the best means to achieve goals with the shortest way.

The Yemeni conflict is an internal conflict with regional extensions to the multiple interests of the Persian Imamah, that has resulted in the failure to build internal Yemeni-Iranian alliances. Therefore, Iran will need double efforts to compensate the weakness of their internal position politically in front of their people.

It was the surprises in the Yemeni internal situation, and the fluctuating loyalties therein, especially against the Imamiyyah, and the shaking of their religious status, were a dangerous indication of their partnership with Iran.

A fact that must be understood

Iran remains ignorant of the Yemeni issue, and is not strongly involved in it by virtue of the regional dimension in the modern and contemporary era, despite the complex ancient ties between them.

But they are the bonds of falsity and the exploitation of evidence to brainwash the generation that has been distracted and suffering in the mire of the current situation.