Iran on Friday firmly rejected accusations that it is behind recent Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia. The denial came a day after a Saudi official claimed Tehran had encouraged the group’s latest escalation against the kingdom.
Since Yemen’s civil war reignited in July, the Houthis have launched repeated strikes on Saudi targets. These include Red Sea tankers, oil facilities and Riyadh’s international airport, where 13 people were killed in one attack last week. On Friday the Saudi-led coalition reported intercepting three drones, two cruise missiles and one ballistic missile as the kingdom faced continued assaults.
Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei said his country has played no role in the Houthi operations. He stated that Yemen’s armed forces act according to their own interests and that such claims are not credible. Baqaei added that Iran does not believe an escalation of tensions serves any party’s interests and once again offered to mediate between the two sides.
Saudi Deputy Minister for Public Diplomacy Dr Rayed Krimly had earlier accused Iran of arming, training and supporting the Houthis in violation of United Nations Security Council resolutions. He also said the Houthis had rejected an invitation to meet in Oman at the start of the current round of fighting.
The UN Security Council on Thursday strongly condemned the continued and escalating Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia as well as threats to commercial shipping in the Red Sea and the Bab al-Mandeb Strait. The council specifically denounced the reckless strikes on Riyadh’s airport, which the coalition said has been targeted at least 20 times this month.
Meanwhile, two missiles landed inside the perimeter of Aden airport on Friday, the second such incident in less than a week. No casualties were reported. The previous day a deadly missile strike on the presidential palace in Aden killed five people and wounded 16 others. Yemeni officials said the attack hit command centres used by both Yemeni and Saudi coalition forces.
The pressure on Saudi Arabia, the world’s largest oil exporter, comes at a time when global energy markets are already unsettled. The Houthis have made significant territorial gains along the Red Sea coast, increasing the risk to international shipping routes.
