Claims of dispatch of Iran missiles to Yemen is a lie: Qassemi
Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman dismissed the allegations about the Islamic Republic's provision of missiles to Yemeni forces.
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"Iran's missile program is for defensive and deterrent [purposes] and claims about the dispatch of missiles to Yemen despite the all-out blockade on this country are lies and a foolish scenario designed to exonerate the aggressors," Bahram Qassemi said.
He added that Britain and France have expressed their concern over Iran's defensive missile program without providing any reason or wise justification.
A group of so-called independent United Nations experts monitoring the sanctions on Yemen reported to the Security Council in January that it had “identified missile remnants, related military equipment and military unmanned aerial vehicles that are of Iranian origin and were brought into Yemen after the imposition of the targeted arms embargo.”
British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson in a statement on Monday called on Iran to stop taking actions which could lead to further escalation of the Yemeni conflict.
"I call on Iran to cease activity which risks escalating the conflict and to support a political solution to the conflict in Yemen," Johnson said.
His remarks came on the same day that the French foreign ministry also said in a statement that Paris was concerned about Iran's ballistic missiles program and its activities in the region, mentioning its support for the Houthis in Yemen.
In reaction to the allegations, Qassemi said the Islamic Republic has designed its defensive missile program based on its military doctrine and valuable experience it obtained during the eight-year war imposed on it by Iraq backed by major global powers in the 1980s.
He added that Iran's missile program aims to deter any aggression by extremist powers against the country.
"In this clear path that is completely in conformity with international principles, we will never accept other countries' intervention and regard as irresponsible and suspicious the adoption of such unprincipled stance and strongly reject them," Qassemi said.
He emphasized that the Yemeni army and people have no need for foreign countries' weapons, saying the Yemenis' defense of their country's dignity with minimum facilities has led to the defeat of aggressors.
