Saudi Arabia’s powerful Crown Prince accused Iran on Tuesday of “direct military aggression” through Yemen’s Houthi rebels, ratcheting up regional tensions as the kingdom reels from a sweeping royal purge. Saudi Arabia and Iran have been trading fierce accusations over their involvement in the conflict in Yemen, in which they back opposing sides.
In the latest flare-up, Saudi Arabia on Saturday intercepted and destroyed a ballistic missile near Riyadh international airport, reportedly fired from Yemen by Iran-backed Houthi rebels, provoking a bitter war of words.
Saudi Arabia accused Iran of supplying missiles to the rebels. Tehran vehemently denied the charge and in turn accused Riyadh of war crimes in Yemen.
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“The involvement of Iran in supplying missiles to the Houthis is a direct military aggression by the Iranian regime,” the Saudi Press Agency quoted Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman as saying during a telephone conversation with British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson. This “could be considered an act of war”, he said.
Iran dismisses claims
Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, speaking by phone with Mr. Johnson, dismissed the accusations, calling them “contrary to reality and dangerous”, a Foreign Ministry spokesman said.
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Mr. Zarif also slammed “provocative actions by the Saudi government in the region”, spokesman Bahram Ghassemi added.
An Iranian official on Monday had called the allegation that Iran sent missile to Yemen “childish”.