UAE calls for supporting Yemeni "uprising" against Iran-backed Houthis

DUBAI, Dec. 3 (Xinhua) -- A senior official of the the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on Sunday called for supporting the "national uprising" in Yemen against the Houthi rebels.

Anwar Gargash, the UAE minister of state for foreign affairs, tweeted that the uprising against the Iran-backed Houthi rebels "needs support" in order "to protect the Arabian Peninsula from Iran".

In two tweets posted on his twitter account with 587,000 followers, Gargash said whatever the outcome of the "blessed uprising" in Sanaa, the Yemeni capital, it shows the Houthi control is temporary.

The senior diplomat also said that the situation in Sanaa remained "vague".

He was referring to the recent clashes between the Houthi rebels and the supporters of former Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh, who used to be allies in fighting a military coalition led by Saudi Arabia to support the internationally-recognized government led by President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi since March 2015.

Saleh has signaled his willingness to open a "new page" in his relations with the Saudi-led coalition.

On Sunday, a fire ripped through the building of the Iranian embassy in Sanaa after being attacked by heavy weapons during clashes between the Houthis and Saleh supporters. Enditem