TEHRAN – Iran has reacted strongly to inflammatory remarks by British Foreign Secretary David Cameron, who on Sunday accused Tehran of being behind attacks on Israeli ships in the Red Sea, describing the country as a “malign actor” in West Asia.

Iran’s foreign ministry spokesman has slammed the diplomat’s remarks as “baseless claims” aiming to justify the UK and U.S. attacks on Yemen and deflect attention from the genocide that is unfolding in Gaza at the hands of the Israeli regime.
 
“The irresponsible remarks by the authorities of the United Kingdom and the United States cannot help the Zionist regime to escape its accumulated crises and responsibilities for its crimes against the oppressed Palestinian people. Therefore, the Islamic Republic of Iran sees the immediate cessation of the attacks and war crimes of the aggressor Zionist regime in Gaza as the only way to prevent further tensions and to establish peace and stability in the West Asia region”, Nasser Kanaani said.

Yemen has been targeting Israeli-linked ships in the Red Sea in response to the regime’s relentless crimes in Gaza. Washington and London carried out airstrikes on Yemeni soil last week to “counter” the attacks. Several analysts and human rights activists have expressed disappointment at the move, saying the two Western states are risking a devastating regional war instead of pressuring Israel to cease its deadly campaign in the besieged Gaza Strip.

“The military attack by the United States and the United Kingdom against Yemen is a violation of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of an independent country and is contrary to the Charter of the United Nations and the principles of international law. It will only encourage Israel to commit further war crimes and expand the range of tensions in the region,” the spokesman highlighted, adding that Iran has no connections to the attacks happening in the Red Sea.