Iran rejects EU claims of military presence in Yemen

• Iran rejected EU claims that its military experts are in Yemen, calling the allegations fabricated
• Tehran accused the EU of complicity in rights abuses against Yemenis via sanctions and blockades
• The remarks responded to EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas demanding Iran halt military aid to the Houthis
• Iran stated the Yemeni people defend their sovereignty independently without external personnel

Iran’s Foreign Ministry rejected European Union allegations regarding its involvement in the conflict between Saudi Arabia and Yemen on Thursday, categorically denying the presence of Iranian military experts on Yemeni territory.

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baqaei dismissed remarks made by EU Foreign Policy Chief Kaja Kallas as "baseless," turning criticism back onto the European bloc.

The exchange followed a formal statement issued by Kallas’s office, in which the EU condemned regional escalation and demanded an end to foreign support for the movement.

"We call on all actors, including Iran to cease all military support to the Houthis, in violation of several United Nations Security Council resolutions," the EU statement said.

Responding to the EU's position, Baqaei accused European officials of hypocrisy and deflection, arguing that the bloc itself shares responsibility for the humanitarian toll in Yemen through its adherence to economic measures.

"The European Union is itself an accomplice in gross human rights violations in Yemen due to its participation in sanctions and the economic siege on the Yemeni people," Baqaei stated. "European officials cannot absolve themselves of responsibility through projective statements."

Baqaei firmly denied reports alleging that Iranian military personnel or technical advisors are operating inside Yemen, describing such accounts as part of a deliberate disinformation campaign.

"The publication of such fake news is carried out with the aim of covering up realities and distracting public opinion," he said.

The Iranian spokesperson added that the Yemeni people do not require foreign military intervention, claiming that they have "demonstrated that they possess the necessary capability, experience, courage, and will to defend their national sovereignty and human dignity, and in this path, they have no need for interference from any party."