Yemen Monitor / Tehran / Exclusive:
Organizers of the 35th Tehran International Book Fair announced that Sanaa, under Houthi control, will replace India as the special guest for this edition of the book fair.
Ali Ramazani, the official spokesperson for the fair, stated on his social media pages that “Yemen replaces the role previously played by India.”
Iran is the only country that recognizes the Houthis as an official Yemeni authority. The Houthi group is considered one of Iran’s proxies in the region, funding them with money and advanced weapons throughout the ongoing war for over a decade.
Initially, India was selected as the special guest for the book fair, but due to restrictions on Indian citizens traveling to Iran, organizers decided to substitute Yemen for India, as reported by Muhr agency on Sunday.
There are no flights from Yemen to Iran! There is a specific route from the Houthi-controlled Sanaa International Airport to the Jordanian capital, Amman.
In response to these developments, Ramazani issued a statement explaining that the absence of India is due to the ongoing restrictions imposed on Indian citizens in Iran following Iran’s bombing of the Israeli occupation. As a result, Yemen will now be the special guest of the 35th Tehran International Book Fair.
In February, a cultural memorandum of understanding was signed between the organizers of the Tehran International Book Fair and the New Delhi International Book Fair, aiming to enhance cultural exchange between Iran and India through literature.
As part of this agreement, India was initially appointed as the special guest for the 35th Tehran International Book Fair, with Iran expected to reciprocate as the special guest for the New Delhi International Book Fair in 2025.
Tehran Times reported: with only 10 days left until the event, it remains to be seen what plans Yemen has for participating in the Tehran International Book Fair.
Event organizers stated: as the main commercial book fair in Iran, TIBF has become a prominent and important book fair in West Asia after 34 consecutive editions. The fair attracts millions of visitors every year, including thousands of university students, scholars, and their families.
