Iran denies involvement in Yemen missile attack on Saudi Arabia

Iran’s Foreign Ministry on Monday dismissed the allegations that Tehran was behind a recent missile attack on Riyadh, Press TV reported.

The allegations are “destructive, irresponsible, provocative and baseless,” Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Bahram Qasemi, said.

The Saudi-led coalition fighting Iranian-allied Shiite Houthis said in a statement that Iran was to blame for a Yemeni missile strike on Riyadh on Saturday.

Mr. Qasemi said that the Yemenis had showed an “independent’’ reaction to Saudi attacks, and their reaction was not rooted in another country’s measures or provocations.

He said that Iran had no means of transferring missiles to Yemen, and that missiles used by Yemeni militants belonged to them and they had only increased their range.

He urged the Saudi officials to stop levelling “unfounded’’ accusations against others and carrying out attacks on innocent and defenceless Yemeni people as soon as possible.

Following a missile strike from neighbouring Yemen on Saturday, Saudi Arabia ramped up threats against Iran, saying there would be a response “in the appropriate time and manner.’’

Saudi Arabia is leading a mostly Arab military coalition to fight Houthi rebels in Yemen since March 2015 in a bid to restore President Abd Rabbu Mansour Hadi, who was ousted by Houthis in September 2014.

Houthis have been controlling much of Yemen’s north by force, including the capital Sanaa since 2014.