On Tuesday, the Yemeni government considered the death of Iranian Revolutionary Guard leader and its unofficial ambassador to the Houthi militias, Hassan Erlo, as "a blow to the Iranian regime and its project in Yemen." This was the first comment from Yemeni Information Minister Muammar al-Eryani, following Iran's acknowledgment of Erlo's death.
Al-Eryani tweeted that the Iranian regime had sent the Quds Force officer Hassan Erlo as a military governor with absolute powers in the seized capital, Sana'a, signaling a new phase of intervention. He noted that Tehran had stepped into the forefront of managing political escalation and thwarting peaceful solutions to the crisis, leading military operations on the ground in Marib, al-Bayda, and Shabwa.
He added that the Houthi militia celebrated Hassan Erlo, welcoming him on a red carpet and allowing him, during his stay in Sana'a, to make political and military decisions regarding "peace and war," which showcased their blind allegiance and subservience to the Iranian regime.
Al-Eryani emphasized that after a year of Erlo's rule, Tehran's project in Yemen had evaporated against the steadfastness and resilience of Marib, and Iran was now begging for mediations just to evacuate him, after the Yemenis, supported by the Saudi-led coalition, had rubbed its nose in the dirt.
He sarcastically noted, referencing Iran's promise last Ramadan to enter Marib and break their fast with its dates: "As for Erlo, who tested the Yemeni people's strength, he neither returned walking on his feet as he entered nor tasted the dates of Marib."
Details surrounding the circumstances of Erlo's death remain murky and speculative. Without acknowledging the Houthi militia's denial of the existence of the coronavirus, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Saeed Khatibzadeh announced on Saturday, December 18, that the transfer of Iranian leader Hassan Erlo "to Iran for treatment succeeded; he had contracted the virus a few days earlier."
Political sources in Sana'a dismissed the Iranian narrative, given Erlo's special care and strict preventive measures against Covid-19, considering the Iranian announcement a political scandal against the Houthi militia and a sign of their disregard for the lives of Yemenis.
Local news site "News Yemen" reported that sources from the Yemeni Foreign Ministry indicated that Erlo was taken to Sana'a International Airport; this raises the possibility that he was injured in an anti-air raid by the coalition supporting legitimacy.
Earlier on Tuesday, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Khatibzadeh announced Erlo's death, stating he was also an old warrior in the war who had suffered from chemical exposure and was injured during his mission.
