SANA’A — Accused by the Yemeni government of espionage and interference in domestic affairs, the Iranian president’s envoy, Masud Husseini, arrived in Sana’a on Saturday for an official visit expanding for days.

Maeen Al-Salami, political analyst, said he considers the trip as a bid to lighten the tense political climate between the two countries that has recently emerged.

Al-Salami said the visit is solid evidence for recent reports of the operation of an Iranian spy ring in Yemen, captured in the midst of creating havoc and destabilizing Yemen.

He speculated that the captured figures are important Iranian individuals, proven to be involved in destructive espionage on Yemen through the means of supporting the armed groups in Abyan and Sa’ada. This message was clear in President Abdu Rabu Mansour Hadi’s speech warning Iran against interference, he said.

“We hope this visit will be an end to the Iranian interference in Yemen’s affairs,” he said.

Al-Salami explained that the Iranian envoy’s visit may be in order to settle the situation prior to the public release of details surrounding the alleged spy ring. “There seems to be a fear of a declaration of information. This is frivolous interference and a violation of international laws and conventions.”

The Saba News Agency quoted Husseini as saying, “the purpose of this visit is to deliver a message to President Hadi from President Ahmadinejad, including an invitation to take part in the Non-Alignment Summit slated to be held in Iran.”

According to the Iranian envoy, Iran is keen to keep Yemen stable, united and free from interference in its internal affairs based on the bilateral relationship connecting the two countries.

Political analysts told the Yemen Times that the Iranian-Yemeni relationship is in the midst of a serious crisis, typified by Hadi’s warning against Iran’s interference into Yemen’s internal affairs.

Meanwhile, the Yemeni security authorities are still investigating the members of the alleged spy cell caught on July 18.

The Saudi-owned Al-Arabiya network reported that the accused will be referred to the judiciary once essential investigations have been concluded.

According to the source, information discovered by the security investigators incriminates the Syrian embassy in Sana’a, as well as employees of the Iranian embassy.

Hussein Abdullah, an official in the Iranian embassy in Sana’a, denied in a previous statement to the Yemen Times the existence of an Iranian spy ring in Yemen. He attacked reports on this matter as media propaganda.