TEHRAN- Iran’s foreign minister has sharply criticized the U.S. and UK recent assaults on Yemeni land, calling them “illegitimate, strategic mistake.”

Hossein Amir Abdollahian made the comments during a phone conversation with UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres early on Tuesday. 

The two talked about the most recent events pertaining to the Gaza Strip and the Red Sea.

Iran’s top diplomat emphasized throughout the discussion the Islamic Republic of Iran’s fundamental position on preserving and enhancing the security of navigation and commerce.

“By stopping ships that are bound for the occupied Palestinian territories, Yemen seeks to put a halt to the Zionist regime’s crimes and genocide against civilians in Gaza,” Amir Abdollahian added. 

He went on to say that the “illegal measures taken by the United States and the UK in attacking Yemen” amounted to a miscalculation in strategy that would cause tensions in the region to rise even worse.

Elsewhere in his remarks, Iran’s foreign minister reiterated Tehran’s willingness to provide humanitarian help to the Palestinian people residing in the Gaza Strip, expressing worry about the complex humanitarian situation there.

The UN Secretary-General, for his part, voiced concerns over the rise of violence in the region, stating that the international organization is working to end the war and ameliorate the suffering of the region’s people.  

He once again decried the current military attack against Gaza, emphasizing the importance of halting it and giving humanitarian relief to Palestinians there.

Guterres praised the Islamic Republic’s efforts in promoting regional peace and stability.

The United States and its Western allies have been giving financial and logistical assistance to the occupying regime in its relentless bombardment campaign against Palestinians in the besieged region since the onset of the Israeli military onslaught on Gaza in early October 2023.

Following several warnings, Yemen’s Armed Forces and Ansarullah resistance movement have attacked several Israeli-owned ships over the last month as part of their support for Palestinians. The ships were en route to ports in the occupied regions of the strategically important Red Sea.

The Israeli genocide in Gaza has killed over 24,000 Palestinians, the majority of whom are women and children, while also injuring thousands and leaving millions homeless. According to the UN, almost 85% of the territory’s population has been displaced and pushed into overcrowded shelters.

The Tel Aviv regime has also imposed an all-out embargo on Gaza, preventing the flow of food, water, fuel, and medication into the region.