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Iran denies claims of arming Yemeni Houthi militants

Xinhua, October 5, 2016 Adjust font size:

The Iranian Foreign Ministry on Wednesday dismissed U.S. allegations that a missile recently used by Yemen's Shiite Houthi militants to target a United Arab Emirates (UAE) vessel was from Iran.

Washington should avoid accusing others which aims at diverting attentions from their own history of supplying the arms to the countries which have invaded Yemen, Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Bahram Qasemi was quoted as saying by Press TV.

Presently, U.S. planes and weapons are being used by a Saudi-led coalition to kill thousands of innocent people and destroy hospitals and schools in Yemen, said Qasemi.

On Saturday, the vessel, an Australian-built high-speed logistics catamaran under lease to the UAE military, was attacked by Houthi fighters near the Bab al-Mandab strait off Yemen's southern coast.

Followingly, U.S. Navy dispatched three warships near the southern coast of Yemen accusing Iran of supplying the Houthis with the "shoulder-fired rockets" that nearly destroyed the UAE ship.

In March 2015, the Saudi-led coalition started airstrikes against the Houthi rebels in Yemen, with Saudi Arabia saying the move aimed at restoring the legitimacy of the government of President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi.

The UN Resolution 2216 orders Iran-backed Houthi militias to withdraw from capital Sanaa and all other cities, hand over weapons and release political prisoners before forming a new transitional government.

However, the Houthis and their allies said that they represent the country's de facto rulers and urged to form a new transitional government before discussing withdrawal and other topics. Endit