The death of former Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh has received extensive coverage in Iran, with media outlets and newspapers describing his fate as the result of his “betrayal” of the Houthis.

With the headline, “The End of the Complicated Arab Politician,” the government-run newspaper Iran wrote Dec. 5, “In 2013, in the midst of Yemen's internal disputes between Ansar Allah [Houthis] and [Abed Rabbo] Mansour Hadi’s government, which led to Hadi’s escape to Saudi Arabia, Abdullah Saleh returned to the country and formed an alliance with national unity [government] forces and stood against Hadi and Saudi Arabia.”

Iran daily added, “Seemingly, following behind-the-curtain talks of Abdullah Saleh with Saudi Arabia and the [United Arab Emirates], this alliance had reached an end unilaterally and secretly a few months ago. But with serious conflicts between forces loyal to Abdullah Saleh and those of the national unity [government] in Sanaa [on Nov. 29], the end of their alliance and beginning of bilateral hostility went public.”

The report continued, “In the wake of the killing of Saleh, the people of Yemen expressed their satisfaction over his death and the thwarting of the conspiracy of the aggressors to cause internal sedition in the country.”