I reiterate the United States stands against Iran's proliferation of advanced conventional weapons and its provision of financial and technical assistance to lethal militants amid proxy terrorists and others across the region they support. Their impact being on display in Yemen, in Syria, Lebanon, Iraq, and even here in the Kingdom of Bahrain.
In Yemen, Iran continues to export missiles rockets and unmanned aerial systems to Houthi militants in violation of United Nations strictures. Over the past 18 months, Houthis have launched more than 100 missiles at Saudi Arabia including civilian targets like the King Khalid International Airport.
Iran support, prolongs, and expands the conflict in Yemen, adds to humanitarian suffering, threatens critical waterways, and disrupts efforts for sustainable peace. In addition, al-Qaeda leadership's use of Iran as a safe haven widely acknowledged amongst extremists is unacceptable to the international community and senseless in terms of what is in the best interest of the unfortunate Iranian people saddled with the regime focused on creating pandemonium and violence beyond its borders.
We stand against Iran's unsafe even reckless behavior in the maritime domain like the July attacks on international shipping by Iranian-supplied Houthis in the Bab el-Mandeb. These behaviors flout freedom of navigation and disrupt maritime security and global trade. We stand against Iran's conducting destructive and costly cyber attacks against sovereign nations and corporations.
We stand against its testing and proliferation of missile systems in contravention of international mandates irresponsibly spreading these threats to Syria, Lebanon, Yemen and elsewhere. The fact they operate through proxy forces does not lessen the Iranian regime's culpability nor will it lessen their accountability by the international community.
We will not stand idly by any attempt by the Iranian regime to pursue a nuclear weapon. As President Trump has made clear, the United States recognizes the Iranian regime does not speak for the Iranian people, who have a right to live and prosper in a safe, secure, and peaceful region.
We need to act against Saudi Arabia to punish those who murdered Khashoggi (and discourage the Saudis from doing that sort of thing again), as Mattis also clearly stated, but people who claim to grasp nuance need to consider out interests in stopping Iran and how Iran could benefit from weakening Saudi Arabia.
