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2nd LD: Iran's top leader says Yemen bombing "mistake"

Xinhua, April 9, 2015 Adjust font size:

Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said here Thursday that the Saudi-led coalition has committed a big "mistake" in bombing Yemen.

The Iranian leader compared the Saudi-led raid on Yemen to the Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip in the past, saying that this action is "a crime and genocide which can be prosecuted internationally."

"Killing of children, destroying the houses, the infrastructures and the wealth of a country is a grave crime," he was quoted as saying by his official website.

"For sure, the Saudis will face loss in this issue (attack on Yemen) and will never come out victorious," he said, arguing that "the military power of the Zionists (Israel) was several times the Saudi's when they raided the small Gaza Strip, but they could not succeed, while Yemen is a big country with tens of millions of population."

The Saudi officials' move in Yemen and in the region is not acceptable and "I warn them to quit this criminal action in Yemen," he added.

On Wednesday, Iran said it dispatched its 34th navy fleet to the Gulf of Aden and Bab al-Mandab Strait to provide safety of naval routes for Iranian vessels.

"The flotilla, which comprises the Bushehr logistic vessel and Alborz destroyer, left Iran's southern port city of Bandar Abbas on Wednesday," Iranian Navy Commander Rear Admiral Habibollah Sayyari was quoted as saying.

The fleet will "provide safety for Iran's shipping lines and protect the Islamic Republic of Iran's interests in the high seas," he said, adding that the flotilla is also seeking to ensure safety for the vessels against pirates.

The Navy observes international laws while conducting its mission in the north of the Indian Sea with full power, Sayyari said.

In the past, Iran had dispatched its fleets for such missions in the Gulf of Aden. However, the new move may erupt conflicts as the Saudi-led military coalition has launched airstrikes against Houthi targets in Yemen since last week.

The coalition has accused Iran of interfering in Yemen, which it strongly denied.

Over 200 have been killed and more than 1,300 wounded since the beginning of airstrikes in Yemen's Aden in late March. Endit