TEHRAN- Hossein Amir Abdollahian, Iran’s Foreign Minister, has praised Yemen’s support for the Palestinian people at a time of unprecedented Israeli aggression.

On Thursday, the top Iranian diplomat paid a visit to the Yemeni Embassy in Tehran to express the Islamic Republic’s thanks to Sanaa for its assistance.

“Yemen’s support for the people of Gaza Strip and the occupied West Bank is admirable,” Amir Abdollahian said in a meeting with Yemeni Ambassador to Iran Ibrahim Mohammed al-Dailami.

“We consider defending the people of Palestine and Gaza to be our duty, and will continue supporting Palestine as long as it is necessary,” the Yemeni envoy said.

He went on to add, “The decision by the Yemeni leaders in Sanaa towards targeting the Zionist regime’s interests in the occupied territories and at sea is in line with our strong belief in defending the people of Gaza.”

The Armed Forces of Yemen issued a statement on Thursday as well, threatening to redouble their strikes on Israeli targets in the event that the regime decided to resume its war on Gaza after an ongoing cease-fire that is scheduled to end later on Friday.

The meeting took place amid the Israeli regime’s onslaught on Gaza, which has claimed the lives of almost 15,500 Palestinians since October 7. Since the onset of the war, the Israeli army has also increased its attacks on the West Bank, killing hundreds of Palestinians. 

Yemeni troops have carried out a number of operations against the occupied regions since the start of the Israeli military campaign, including ballistic and cruise missile assaults, and have captured at least three Israeli ships transiting through Yemeni territorial waters. 

In addition, the troops have carried out at least two operations directed at U.S. interests in response to Washington’s unwavering political and military backing for the Israeli onslaught.

Iran unhappy with presence of Israel at UN summit in UAE

Abdollahian also on Thursday expressed Tehran’s unhappiness with the presence of the Zionist regime’s official at the UN climate summit hosted by the United Arab Emirates.

In phone talks with his UAE counterpart Sheik Abdullah bin Zayed, Amir Abdollahian said Tehran “comprehends” the hosting of the COP28 international climate conference by the UAEA but the participation of Israeli officials at the forum in view of the Zionist regime’s recent “war crimes and genocide” in the Gaza Strip entails “serious thinking”.

Issac Herzog, the president of the Zionist regime, held talks on Thursday with UAE President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan to use the Arab country’s influence to help release the Israeli military personnel who are in captivity of Hamas following the resistance group’s surprise attacks on southern Israel on October 7.

In their Thursday telephone conversation, the Iranian and UAE foreign ministers also reviewed the latest developments in the Gaza Strip in light of a truce between Hamas and Israel that went into effect last Friday.

Amir Abdollahian said, “Islamic countries must go on with their efforts to fully halt the war crimes of the Zionist regime and help open more crossings for delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza.”

Iran’s chief diplomat added it is widely expected that the United Nations Security Council to ratify an “effective resolution in line with its duties toward the Palestinian people”.

Foreign Minister Abdullah bin Zayed also elaborated on the performance of his country at regional and international level in regard to the Gaza war and said his country will make utmost efforts to extend the truce and send aid to the Gazans.

The UAE foreign minister also briefed his Iranian counterpart about the performance of the UAE in holding the UN conference on climate change.

Amir Abdollahian thanked the UAE president for inviting the Iranian president to the conference and explained the views of the Islamic Republic of Iran in this regard to the Emirati foreign minister.