Iran's foreign minister denies helping Houthis plan attacks on Israel-linked ships
File photo of Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian.
Iran's Foreign Minister HosseinAmirabdollahian on Saturday (December 23) denied USaccusations that it was involved in planning attacks by Yemen's Tehran-aligned Houthi movement on commercial vessels in the Red Sea.
The White House had said Tehran was "deeply involved" in planning the operations and its intelligence was critical to enable the Houthis to target ships.
Iran supports the Houthis but officially denies arming the group, which has seized Yemen's capital Sanaa after ousting the government and now controls large swaths of the country.
The Houthis, who say their attacks are aimed at Israel-linked ships and are in support of Palestinians under siege by Israel in Gaza, have targeted commercial shipping in the Red Sea with drones and missiles, forcing shippers to change course and take longer routes around the southern tip of Africa.