Iran condemns US, UK strikes on Yemen

26-02-2024
Rudaw
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ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Iran on Sunday condemned the US and UK airstrikes on Yemen, saying they were seeking to “escalate tensions and crisis” in the Middle East amid soaring regional tension. 

“By launching these attacks (on Yemen), the US and the UK seek to escalate tensions and crisis in the region, extend the scope of war and instability,” Nasser Kanaani, spokesperson for Iran's foreign ministry, strongly condemned the strikes. 

The US and UK launched a series of aerial and navy strikes in January against Iran-backed Houthi targets in Yemen in response to the group’s repeated attacks on commercial ships in the Red Sea. The strikes were conducted with support from Australia, Bahrain, Canada, and the Netherlands.

On Saturday, American and British forces targeted 18 Houthi targets across eight different locations in Yemen, according to a joint statement. 

"The Huthis' now more than 45 attacks on commercial and naval vessels since mid-November constitute a threat to the global economy, as well as regional security and stability, and demand an international response," the statement said.

Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree vowed to continue attacking US and UK naval targets. 

Kanaani warned that the “arbitrary and aggressive” strikes on Yemen would increase instability in the region. 

Yemen’s Houthis are an Iran-aligned group in control of most of the country, including its capital Sana’a. They say they are acting out of solidarity with Palestine by targeting ships linked to Israel in the Red Sea and Bab al-Mandab strait, a key global maritime trade route. 

 

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