Iranian missile program "aggressive": UAE minister

DUBAI, Dec. 16 (Xinhua) -- A senior official of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) said on Saturday through his Twitter account that Iran is "a serial missile exporter in the region."

Anwar Gargash, UAE's Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, said the defensive nature of Iran's missile program has been exposed for being "a blatant lie."

Gargash stated in English (he usually tweets in Arabic) as "jittery Iranian reactions to evidence showing its culpability in the missile attacks on Saudi Arabia expected."

"Iran's missile program is both aggressive and exportable," added the minister, who regularly comments on geopolitical issues in the Middle East through social media channels.

The UAE and Saudi Arabia accuse Iran of providing and operating ballistic missiles for the Shiite Houthi rebels which they have been fighting militarily in a pan-Arab coalition since March 2015 in order to restore Yemen's President Abd Rabbu Mansour Hadi, who was ousted by Houthis in September 2014.

Earlier the week, the UAE called on international community "to more forcefully address Iran's threat."

On Nov. 23, the chief commander of Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps said that the Islamic republic provides "advisory assistance" for Houthi militants, Tasnim news agency reported. Enditem