Iran rejects UK accusations of involvement in Yemeni attacks on Israeli ships in Red Sea

Iran has dismissed accusations by the British government of involvement in a series of Yemeni attacks in the Red Sea, stressing that the resistance groups in the region do not receive orders from Tehran on how to respond to the Israeli regime’s war crimes.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kan'ani made the remarks in a statement on Tuesday, saying Tehran had nothing to do with the attacks that targeted Israeli ships in the Red Sea a day earlier.

"Such allegations are made in line with certain political goals and indicate the efforts of the British authorities to turn the realities of the region upside down and it also shows that they are influenced by third parties, including the child-killing Zionist regime," he said.

He also condemned the counterproductive statements and actions of some British officials, describing them as "a threat to regional and international peace and stability."

The Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman further emphasized that “the resistance groups in the region do not receive orders from the Islamic Republic of Iran to confront and respond to the war crimes and genocide of the child-killing Zionist regime,” adding that “these groups decide and act based on their own principles and priorities and the interests of their country and people."

Read more: 

• Yemeni forces target two Israeli ships in Red Sea: Spokesman

• Israeli firm re-routes ships to avoid possible attacks by Yemeni forces

Instead of making baseless accusations, Kan'ani said British authorities had better condemn the Israeli crimes, spend their efforts on stopping the occupying regime’s war crimes against the Palestinian women and children, and facilitate the delivery of humanitarian aid according to international regulations.

The latest development came a day after the British Foreign Ministry condemned the Yemeni army’s attack on Israeli ships in the Red Sea. It repeated allegations about Iran's connection with the operations of the resistance groups in the region, holding Tehran responsible for such attacks.

On Monday, the Yemeni army targeted two Israeli ships in the Red Sea as they were attempting to cross the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.

Brigadier General Yahya Saree, the spokesman of the Yemeni armed forces, said the Israeli ships’ passage was disrupted in support of the Palestinian nation.

Also on November 19, Ansarullah fighters boarded a commercial ship believed to be ultimately owned by a major Israeli businessman with links to the Tel Aviv regime.

The Yemenis have said that any ship with links to Israel will be a legitimate target if it passes the waters off Yemen's ports in the Red Sea.

Reports have shown that Israeli shipping companies have already decided to reroute their vessels in fear of attacks by Yemeni forces.

Yemeni forces have also launched missile and drone attacks on targets in the Israeli-occupied territories of Palestine after the aggression on Gaza began in early October.

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