Yemenis’ Reaction to Saudi Aggression Natural: Iranian Spokesman
Speaking to reporters in Tehran on Monday, Seyed Abbas Mousavi dismissed US allegations that Iran was behind Saturday’s attacks on Saudi oil facilities, describing them as part of the US’ “maximum lies” campaign against Tehran.
He said Yemen has been the target of a bloody war for nearly five years.
“The Saudis, with the support of Western countries, have committed many war crimes in Yemen and it is natural that the Yemeni people and armed forces react to these (Saudi) attacks until they are halted,” he said.
The Islamic Republic of Iran defends the Yemeni people and their rights but rejects as baseless and condemned, the attempts to attribute such attacks on Saudi Arabia to Iran, he added.
The Yemeni forces on Saturday launched drone attacks on two plants at the heart of Saudi Arabia's oil industry, including the world's biggest petroleum processing facility.
Yemen said it used 10 drones for the operation, which was one of their largest retaliatory attacks ever inside the kingdom.
The Yemeni army has said the raids were carried out on the back of an intelligence operation and in cooperation with “certain honorable and freedom-seeking individuals within Saudi Arabia.”
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo put the blame for the operation on Iran, claiming, “Tehran is behind nearly 100 attacks on Saudi Arabia” and that “there is no evidence the attacks came from Yemen.”
Tehran, however, dismissed the allegation, saying Washington seems to be shifting from a failed campaign of “maximum pressure” to one of “maximum lying” and “deceit” against the Islamic Republic.
Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said in a tweet that “US & its clients are stuck in Yemen because of illusion that weapon superiority will lead to military victory.”
