Iran rejects accusations of involvement in Houthi attacks on Israel

Tehran: Iran on Monday rejected accusations by US and Israeli officials of its involvement in attacks on Israel by the Houthis in Yemen.

In a statement released early Monday, the Iranian Foreign Ministry described the repetition of such “baseless” claims as an “affront to the powerful but oppressed” Yemeni nation.

The statement highlighted Iran’s position on the necessity to respect countries’ territorial integrity and national sovereignty, and condemned the US military attacks on Yemen as a “flagrant violation” of the UN Charter and international law.

The statement was released after the Houthi group announced a comprehensive air blockade on Israel “in response to its decision to expand its aggression against Gaza.”

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had vowed on Sunday to retaliate against Houthi forces in Yemen and their ally, Iran, after the missile attack.

Writing on the social media platform X, the official account of the Prime Minister’s Office stated that “attacks by the Houthis emanate from Iran.” It added that Israel “will respond to the Houthi attack against our main airport and, at a time and place of our choosing, to their Iranian terror masters.”

Netanyahu issued another warning to the Houthis, threatening to launch a strike against the group. “We attacked in the past, we will attack in the future,” he said in a video statement.

The Houthis claimed responsibility for a missile strike that hit a driveway leading to the main terminal of Ben Gurion Airport, outside Tel Aviv, Xinhua news agency reported. Israeli and US-deployed aerial defense systems attempted to intercept the missile but failed.

The attack resulted in four minor injuries and caused damage. Several international airlines canceled flights to and from Israel following the missile attack, including Air Europa, Swiss International Air Lines, Lufthansa, ITA Airways, and Brussels Airlines.

The Houthis have intensified missile and drone attacks in recent weeks amid renewed U.S. airstrikes on their positions in Yemen.

The Houthis, who control much of northern Yemen, have been targeting Israel since November 2023 in what they describe as an act of solidarity with Palestinians amid the war in Gaza. The group has said it would halt its attacks if Israel ends its military campaign and allows humanitarian aid into the enclave.

IANS