Allies of Yemen’s president found weapons bound for Iran-aligned Houthi forces on trucks with Omani license plates, although there was no evidence of any link to Omani authorities, who are neutral in Yemen’s war, reported Reuters on Sunday citing the Saudi daily newspaper Al-Hayat.
The Saudi newspaper quoted Marib governor Sultan al-Arada – an ally of Yemeni President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi- as saying the vehicles carrying “explosives and weapons” had been en route from the Yemeni province of Hadramout to the Houthi-held Yemeni capital of Sanaa.
The fighting in Yemen, which intensified after U.N.-sponsored peace talks in Kuwait ended last month without an agreement, has seen little ground changing hands.
Omani officials were not immediately available for a comment. Arada was also out of the country and could not immediately be reached for a comment, said Al-Hayat newspaper.
Oman is a member of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), which also groups Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain and Kuwait, but also maintains good relations with the Gulf Arabs’ regional rival Iran, and the Houthi group.
Oman sees itself as a mediator trying to prevent traditional rivalry between Saudi Arabia and Iran from escalating into a confrontation.
It has stayed out of a Saudi-led Arab coalition that has intervened in Yemen since March last year to try to restore Hadi to power after the Houthis forced him to flee the country.
