Iran Denies Planning Houthi Attacks

By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent Worthy News

TEHRAN/WASHINGTON (Worthy News) – Iran has denied U.S. allegations that it is involved in planning attacks by Yemen’s Tehran-aligned Houthi movement on commercial vessels in the Red Sea.

Iranian deputy foreign minister Ali Bagheri Kani said Saturday that the resistance (Houthis) has its own tools of power and acts according to its decisions and capabilities.”

His remarks came after the White House said Tehran was “deeply involved” in planning the operations, and its intelligence was critical to enable the Houthis to target ships.

‘We know that Iran was deeply involved in planning the operations against commercial vessels in the Red Sea,’ White House national security spokeswoman Adrienne Watson said over the weekend. “This is consistent with Iran’s long-term materiel support and encouragement of the Houthis’ destabilizing actions in the region,” she added in a statement. “This is an international challenge that demands collective action.”

A surveillance vessel in the Red Sea, controlled by Iran’s paramilitary forces, was passing targeting information along to the Houthis, say Western and regional security officials.

Some sources identified that ship as the Behshad, operating as an Iranian-flagged cargo ship that has been at anchor in the middle of the Red Sea since July 2021.

Iran has expressed support for several groups identified by the West as terrorist or militant organizations. Tehran, which openly seeks the destruction of Israel, has condemned Israeli military actions in Gaza, which began after Hamas killed some 1,200 people in Israel on October 7.

Latest Worthy News