TEHRAN: Iran condemned on Sunday the latest strikes by the United States and Britain on Yemen, saying they were seeking to "escalate tensions and crises" in the region.
American and British forces carried out fresh strikes against 18 targets in Yemen, in response to a wave of attacks by Yemeni groups on Red Sea shipping.
"With such attacks, America and Britain seek to escalate tensions and crises in the region, and expand the scope of war and instability," Iran's foreign ministry spokesman Nasser Kanani said in a statement.
He further condemned the United States and Britain for failing to "take immediate and effective action" to stop Israel's deadly campaign in Gaza.
The Yemenis say their attacks on shipping around the Red Sea are in support of Palestinians in war-ravaged Gaza.
Israel's withering military campaign in Gaza began following the unprecedented October 7 attack on southern Israel.
Regional tensions have soared since the war erupted, stoking violence involving groups in Lebanon, Iraq, Syria and Yemen.
Following the Saturday attacks, Pentagon chief Lloyd Austin said the US "will not hesitate to take action, as needed, to defend lives and the free flow of commerce in one of the world's most critical waterways".
"We will continue to make clear to the Yemeni groups that they will bear the consequences if they do not stop their illegal attacks, which harm Middle Eastern economies, cause environmental damage, and disrupt the delivery of humanitarian aid to Yemen and other countries."
The Yemenis military spokesman Yahya Saree said the attacks would continue until "the aggression stops" in Gaza.
Apart from the joint operations with Britain, the United States has also claimed to carry out unilateral strikes against positions and weaponry in Yemen, and has downed dozens of missiles and drones in the Red Sea.
US Central Command (CENTCOM) announced that an American Navy vessel had shot down an anti-ship ballistic missile "launched into the Gulf of Aden from groups controlled areas of Yemen."
The missile "was likely targeting MV Torm Thor, a US-Flagged, owned, and operated chemical/oil tanker," CENTCOM said on X, formerly Twitter.
US forces on Friday also shot down three attack drones near commercial ships in the Red Sea and destroyed seven anti-ship cruise missiles on land, CENTCOM said.
The UK Ministry of Defence said four Royal Air Force Typhoon FGR4s targeted "several very long-range drones, used by the Yemenis for both reconnaissance and attack missions," on Saturday, at a site northeast of Sanaa. — AFP
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