There Will Be No Saudi Inspection Of This Ship! – A message from the “Iran Shahed” in the Gulf of Aden

We have reproduced below a message from Caleb Maupin, journalist and comrade from Fight Imperialism Stand Together who is currently onboard the Iran Shahed, delivering aid to Yemen in the wake of Saudi brutality:

“The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, which is mercilessly slaughtering people in Yemen, has absolutely no right to inspect this vessel. Neither does the United States of America or Israel. The Iranian government has made that absolutely clear, and all of us in the delegation of peace activists from Germany, France, and the United States absolutely agree

with this decision.



An inspection from the United Nations or the International Red

Cross/Red Crescent Society would absolutely be permitted and welcomed.

These are international bodies delegated for such tasks.

However, allowing an inspection of this ship from the Kingdom of Saudi

Arabia would recognize that somehow the people of Yemen are the

property of the Saudis, which they are not. Yemenis are fighting and

dying to assert this fact each day.

The Red Crescent Society of the Islamic Republic of Iran, in agreement

with Yemen, is shipping 2,500 tons of medical supplies on this cargo

vessel. Both Iran and Yemen are sovereign countries. They have the

right to interact peacefully with each other, without interference.

Saudi Arabia has no say in the matter.

The only purpose a Saudi inspection could serve would be to humiliate

the Islamic Republic of Iran, or worse, to create some kind of

provocation or incident. The Saudis could use the inspection of this

vessel to start a scuffle with those onboard, or to plant weapons, or

to issue false reports in the media about what they found onboard.

The Saudi regime, which beheads and tortures people routinely, and is

currently burning the skin of Yemeni children with the chemical weapon

called White Phosphorous, has no business entering this ship.

A Purely Humanitarian Mission

There is no question in my mind about the absolutely humanitarian

nature of this mission. I have personally looked inside the cargo

areas of this ship and seen nothing but humanitarian items like

band-aids, disinfectant, food, and bottled water.

All Iranian cargo ships that pass through the Gulf of Aden have two

machine guns mounted on the bridge, as a mechanism for self-defense

from pirates or terrorists which frequent this dangerous area.

However, because this is a special humanitarian mission these machine

guns, which are on every Iranian cargo ship, were removed.

The emblem of the Red Crescent Society is prominently displayed

throughout the ship, as are the Iranian and Yemeni flags.

I have spoken at length with the Red Crescent volunteers (we have

plenty of time to socialize). They have told me about their previous

international operations with the Red Crescent Society, traveling

across the world to help those in need.

The Iranian Red Crescent Society, like all organizations which are

affiliated to the International Red Cross/Red Crescent Society in

Geneva, follows seven guiding principles of work. Among them are

non-involvement in military operations, non-partisan delivery of aid,

and volunteerism.

The Iranians would welcome the United Nations or the International Red

Cross/Red Cresent to inspect this ship. But the criminal Saudi regime,

and its US and Israeli allies are simply not welcome aboard.

If we have no interference, we will reach Hodiedah on Thursday, and

deliver our 2,500 tons of supplies to the Yemeni people. We have

recently been informed that the Saudis have already bombed the port of

Hodiedah in anticipation of our arrival.

Let The Hungry Children of Yemen Live!

This Illegal, Immoral Blockade Must End!

Don’t Block The Rescue Boat!”

The only way to make sure such aid missions aren’t necessary in future, to free the people of Yemen and countless other nations from the constant threat of imperialist aggression, is to strike at the root of the problem, capitalism itself. It can be hard to envision such a task from within an imperialist nation, but it is a task we owe to the millions that are suffering around the world today, including ourselves.

HANDS OFF YEMEN!

VICTORY TO THE RESISTANCE!

Learn more:

Lalkar – Hands off Yemen

Track the progress of the Iran Shahed

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