TEHRAN - In a strong rebuke, Iran's Permanent Mission to the United Nations in New York has dismissed allegations by Western powers that the Islamic Republic has provided aid to Yemeni armed forces engaged in anti-Israel operations in the Red Sea, the Mediterranean, and the Indian Ocean.

The statement issued on Friday followed a report by The Associated Press, which cited unnamed American officials claiming that Iran provides financial support, intelligence, and training to Ansarullah resistance movement. The report further alleged that Iran continues to supply arms to Yemen, accusing it of violating existing UN sanctions.  

The Iranian mission directly challenged the U.S. assertion, stating that the U.S. aims to isolate and defeat the Yemeni resistance through military power and political influence within the UN Security Council. This, the statement argued, is an attempt to force Iran to sever ties with Ansarullah or risk being deemed non-compliant with United Nations Security Council resolutions.

“Iran knows how to thwart the U.S. strategy in a way that not only strengthens Ansarullah but also ensures compliance with the pertinent resolutions”, the mission said.

Yemen began targeting Israeli-owned or Israeli-bound vessels passing through the Red Sea when the regime commenced its latest round of onslaughts against the besieged Gaza Strip. The Arab nation gradually extended its anti-Zionist operations to the Mediterranean and the Indian Ocean. 

The UNSC recently adopted a U.S.-Japan resolution imposing sanctions on Yemen’s Ansarullah for its maritime operations, which the movement insists will continue until the Israeli regime ends its war on Gaza and lifts the blockade on the territory. 

The United States, following a series of joint airstrikes with the UK against Yemeni positions, further escalated tensions by labelling Ansarullah a terrorist organization. 

Yemen has retaliated against the airstrikes by targeting U.S. and British ships.  Sana’a vehemently rejects the U.S. and UK claims that their airstrikes are intended to protect international shipping. Ansarullah also maintains that its maritime operations target solely Israeli vessels or those bound for the occupied territories.