Iran Rejects Saudi Arabia’s Allegations of Involvement in Houthi Attacks

Iran on Friday rejected allegations that it was involved in attacks by Yemen’s Houthi movement, responding to Saudi Arabia’s claim that Tehran had encouraged the group’s recent escalation against the kingdom.

The tensions have intensified since Yemen’s civil war reignited in July, with the Iran-aligned Houthis repeatedly targeting Saudi interests, including Red Sea tankers, oil facilities and Riyadh’s international airport. One attack last week reportedly killed 13 people. A Saudi-led military coalition, which has supported Yemen’s internationally recognised government for more than a decade, said it intercepted additional missiles and drones on Friday as Houthi attacks continued.

On Thursday, Saudi Deputy Foreign Minister for Public Diplomacy Dr Rayed Krimly accused Iran of encouraging the escalation. Tehran dismissed the allegation.

“Iran rejects any claim that it has played a role in Yemeni (Houthi) operations,” Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei said in a statement.

He maintained that Yemen’s armed forces acted according to their own interests and assessments, arguing that claims of Iranian involvement were not credible to those familiar with Tehran’s relations with its allies. However, he cautioned that further escalation would not benefit any party.

Krimly also claimed that the Houthis had turned down an offer to hold talks in Oman at the beginning of the latest round of hostilities.

Baqaei reiterated Iran’s willingness to facilitate negotiations, saying Tehran remained prepared to use its diplomatic channels to help end the fighting.

Meanwhile, a spokesperson for the Saudi-led coalition said its forces had intercepted and destroyed three drones in southern Saudi Arabia and Riyadh, along with two cruise missiles over the Red Sea. The coalition also reported intercepting a ballistic missile over Yanbu, a coastal city that serves as the terminus of a major oil pipeline.

The frequency of Houthi attacks has increased since the group launched a rapid offensive in September, capturing strategically important territory along Yemen’s Red Sea coast near a major international shipping chokepoint.

The growing pressure on Saudi Arabia, the world’s largest oil exporter, comes amid wider instability in the Middle East. Global energy markets have already been disrupted by Iran’s closure of the Strait of Hormuz at the beginning of the broader regional conflict in February.

Missiles Strike Aden Airport

Yemeni government forces, backed by Saudi air power, have launched a counteroffensive to reclaim territory seized by the Houthis but have so far failed to reverse the group’s advances.

On Friday, the local security office in Aden, the interim capital of Yemen’s internationally recognised government, reported that two missiles struck within the airport perimeter. Officials described it as the second such incident in less than a week and confirmed that no fatalities had been reported.

The Houthis, citing a military source, said the attack targeted the headquarters of Saudi forces’ command as well as a weapons depot.

Yemen’s Information Ministry said a Yemenia Airways flight bound for Cairo narrowly escaped being hit while preparing for takeoff. According to the ministry, the missiles landed approximately 500 metres from the aircraft and around 100 metres from the runway’s centre.

The ministry condemned the incident as an attack on civilian infrastructure that endangered passengers, flight crews and aviation safety, describing it as a serious violation of international laws and norms.

A day earlier, a Houthi missile attack on the presidential palace in Aden killed five people and injured 16 others, according to Yemen’s health minister.

Prime Minister Shaya al-Zindani condemned the attack as a “cowardly” act, describing it in a post on X as another example of the group’s alleged criminal conduct.

A Yemeni government minister, speaking anonymously, said the Houthis had targeted command centres used by Yemeni forces and the Saudi-led coalition within the palace complex.

Houthi-affiliated media also reported that the strike targeted a military operations headquarters at Al-Maashiq Palace in Aden, allegedly overseen by Saudi officers.