UAE bought weapons from North Korea for war in Yemen

The United Arab Emirates has bought $100 million worth of weapons from North Korea to use in the war in Yemen, the Washington-based Gulf Affairs Institute revealed, citing a leaked memo from the US State Department.

According to the memo, the US State Department warned Abu Dhabi that North Korea would use the money from its arms deal to finance its nuclear programme.

According to the Institute, the memorandum was handed over in June 2015 to the UAE Ambassador in Washington, Yousef Al-Otaiba, who was summoned to the US State Department headquarters.

The memo, which was seen by Al Jazeera revealed that the arms deal was concluded between an Emirati company close to the decision-making circles in Abu Dhabi and a North Korean company for $100 million.

Read: UAE accused of running private torture facilities in Yemen

The deal included a shipment of rockets, machine guns and rifles that appear to have been sent to Yemen to support groups loyal to the UAE in the conflict, according to the Institute.

The State Department refused to comment on the leak.