Yemen campaign: Iranian president hits out at Riyadh

Hassan Rowhani says the Saudi royal family had planted seeds of hatred

Iranian President Hassan Rowhani has hit out at Saudi Arabia for the deadly air strikes in Yemen and ‘sowing discord’ in the region, according to the BBC.

“You planted the seeds of hatred and you will see the response sooner or later,” Rowhani said, referring to the Saudi royal family, in a speech at the annual Army Day ceremony in Tehran, where a new Iranian-made Bavar-373 missile was paraded. Rowhani’s comments came after renewed intense bombing hit Yemen and al Qaeda seized more ground in the chaos.

President Rowhani also endorsed the statement of Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who had earlier said the coalition’s air strikes amount to ‘genocide’ and ‘a major crime’.

The Iranian president said the Islamic republic’s military policies were wrongly perceived. He said his military should not be seen as a threat in the Middle East.

“Our strategy has always been that of a deterrent... not a doctrine of war,” he added. “The presence of Iranian naval ships in the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Aden is intended to ensure the security of neighbouring countries and maritime traffic.”

Saudi Arabia has accused Tehran of providing weapons to the Houthis – a charge Iran denies.

Iran has also presented a four-step peace plan for Yemen to the United Nations, calling for an immediate ceasefire, humanitarian assistance and a national dialogue leading to “the establishment of an inclusive, national-unity government”.


Published in The Express Tribune, April 19^th, 2015.