On December 3, a car bomb exploded near the home of Iran’s ambassador to Yemen in the capital Sanaa. Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula claimed responsibility for the attack, which reportedly killed a Yemeni civilian and two soldiers and wounded 17 others. Iran’s ambassador, Hassan Sayed Nam, was not at in the house when the attack occurred. In Yemen, Iran is widely seen as the main backer of the Houthi movement, which took over took over Sanaa in September. Al Qaeda was also responsible for a suicide attack on a Houthi checkpoint on October 9, which killed 47.
The following are statements by the U.S. State Department and the U.N. Security Council condemning the most recent attack.
The following are statements by the U.S. State Department and the U.N. Security Council condemning the most recent attack.
STATE DEPARTMENT STATEMENT BY MARIE HARF, DEPUTY SPOKESPERSON
December 3, 2014
Bombing at the Iranian Ambassador’s Residence in Sanaa
The United States condemns the bombing at the Iranian Ambassador’s residence in Sanaa earlier this morning and expresses its condolences to the families of the victims.
Attacks on diplomatic facilities and against diplomats contravene all international norms and can never be justified or excused. We urge the Yemeni authorities to conduct a thorough investigation and to bring the perpetrators to justice.
On December 4, the following U.N. Security Council press statement was issued by Council President Mahamat Zene Cherif from Chad.
The members of the Security Council condemned in the strongest terms the 3 December bomb attack at the residence of the Iranian Ambassador to Yemen, which caused a number of deaths and casualties.
The members of the Security Council expressed their deep sympathy and condolences to the families and friends of those killed and injured by these heinous acts.
The members of the Security Council condemned all acts of violence against diplomatic premises, which endanger innocent lives and seriously impede the normal work of diplomatic representatives and officials.
The members of the Security Council reaffirmed that terrorism in all its forms and manifestations constitutes one of the most serious threats to international peace and security, and that any acts of terrorism are criminal and unjustifiable regardless of their motivation, wherever and whenever and by whomsoever committed.
The members of the Security Council reiterated their determination to combat all forms of terrorism, in accordance with its responsibilities under the Charter of the United Nations.
The members of the Security Council underlined the need to bring perpetrators, organizers, financiers and sponsors of these reprehensible acts of terrorism to justice, and urged all States, in accordance with their obligations under international law and relevant Security Council resolutions, to cooperate actively with the Yemeni authorities in this regard.
The members of the Security Council reminded States that they must ensure that measures taken to combat terrorism comply with all their obligations under international law, in particular international human rights, refugee and humanitarian law.
The members of the Security Council recalled the fundamental principle of the inviolability of diplomatic and consular premises, and the obligations on host Governments, including under the 1961 Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations and the 1963 Vienna Convention on Consular Relations, to take all appropriate steps to protect diplomatic and consular premises against any intrusion or damage, and to prevent any disturbance of the peace of these missions or impairment of their dignity, and to prevent any attack on diplomatic agents and consular officers.