Middle East

Iranian general accuses Saudis of following in Israeli footsteps

Commander of Iran’s elite Revolutionary Guards accuses Iran over Yemen air strikes

Air raids, naval shelling and ground fighting shook Yemen on Sunday in some of the most widespread combat since a Saudi-led alliance intervened last month against the Houthi militia who have seized wide areas of the country. Photograph: Khaled Abdullah/Reuters
Air raids, naval shelling and ground fighting shook Yemen on Sunday in some of the most widespread combat since a Saudi-led alliance intervened last month against the Houthi militia who have seized wide areas of the country. Photograph: Khaled Abdullah/Reuters
Mon Apr 27 2015 - 14:21

The commander of Iran's elite Revolutionary Guards accused Saudi Arabia on Monday of following in Israel's footsteps in the Islamic world by carrying out air strikes in Yemen, the official IRNA news agency reported.

A Saudi-led alliance began bombing Iranian-allied Houthi militia in Yemen last month, seeing a threat from their advances across the Arabian Peninsula state. Riyadh also wants to restore Yemen’s president, forced into exile by the Houthis.

General Mohammad Ali Jafari, commander of Shia Iran's elite Revolutionary Guards, said Sunni Saudi Arabia - Tehran's arch regional adversary - was "shamelessly and disgracefully bombing and killing a nation".

“Saudi Arabia is following in the Zionist (Israel) regime’s footsteps in the Islamic world,” Gen Jafari was quoted as saying by IRNA.

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The United States and Saudi Arabia have accused Iran of arming the Shia Houthis. The Islamic Republic says it gives only political and humanitarian support to the Houthis.

Reuters