Iran denies Saudi accusation of involvement in Houthi attacks

Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei stated on Friday that the Islamic Republic of Iran rejects any claims of playing a role in Yemeni Houthi operations. Baqaei told RTE News that Yemen's armed forces act according to their own interests and assessments, adding that such claims are not credible to those familiar with relations between Iran and its friends. He also noted that Iran does not consider an escalation of tensions to be in the interest of any party.

The denial comes a day after a Saudi foreign ministry official, deputy minister for public diplomacy Dr Rayed Krimly, accused Iran of encouraging the Houthis' recent escalation against the kingdom. According to RTE News, the pro-Iran Houthis have repeatedly struck Saudi targets since the Yemeni civil war flared up in July, including oil facilities, Red Sea tankers, and Riyadh's international airport.

A Saudi-led military coalition, which has supported Yemen's internationally recognised government for over a decade, reported intercepting missiles and drones yesterday.

Brief written by urgent.news from Le Monde English, RTE News — 2 reports on this story. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.