Iranian and Saudi flags
Iran denies involvement in Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia
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- Iran says the Houthis are acting according to their own military assessments and interests.
- Tehran reiterates its offer to mediate an end to the fighting.
- The denial comes amid escalating Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia and renewed fighting in Yemen.
Iran on Friday denied any involvement in the attacks carried out by Yemen’s Houthi movement against Saudi Arabia, rejecting allegations linking Tehran to the operations.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said the claims were unfounded, stressing that Yemeni forces were acting based on their own assessments on the ground and their interests. He also reiterated Tehran’s readiness to offer mediation and good offices to help bring the military hostilities to an end.
The statement comes as fighting in Yemen intensifies following the collapse of a previous truce in July. The Houthis have reportedly made advances along Yemen’s western coast and around the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, while announcing restrictions on maritime and air traffic.
Saudi-led coalition spokesperson Turki al-Maliki said the coalition had intercepted and destroyed three drones and two cruise missiles, as well as intercepted a ballistic missile launched toward Yanbu. The interceptions came hours after Saudi civil defense authorities issued an early warning alert for the area.
Separately, Houthi forces targeted the vicinity of Aden International Airport and Badr military camp, following a missile attack on the Maashiq presidential palace in Aden that killed five people and wounded 16, according to the report.
The UN Security Council condemned the escalating attacks and threats to navigation in the Red Sea and the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, specifically highlighting the attack on Riyadh airport.
Meanwhile, humanitarian organizations have warned that renewed fighting is worsening displacement in Yemen, with more than 200,000 people reportedly displaced since hostilities resumed.
Read more: Saudi diplomat says Houthis turned down a meeting with Saudi Arabia in Oman
