Iran says Yemen strikes 'contradict' U.S., UK policy

Iran on Sunday denounced the latest U.S. and UK strikes on targets in Yemen saying they "contradict" their declared intention of avoiding a wider Middle East conflict.

These attacks are "in clear contradiction with the repeated claims of Washington and London that they do not want the expansion of war and conflict in the region," Iran's foreign ministry spokesperson, Nasser Kanani, said in a statement.

He accused the United States and Britain of "fueling chaos, disorder, insecurity and instability" by supporting Israel in its military offensive against Hamas militants in the Gaza Strip.

Further strikes on Yemen's Houthi movement is "a threat to international peace and security," Kanani said.

On Saturday the U.S. and the UK struck dozens of targets in Yemen over Houthi attacks in the Red Sea, which the group says are in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza.

The Houthis vowed to retaliate, saying the airstrikes will not deter them from supporting Palestinians in Gaza, and "will not pass without response and punishment."

Saturday's strikes came a day after the U.S. military struck targets in Syria and Iraq, in retaliation for a January 28 drone attack on a base in Jordan that killed three U.S. soldiers.

U.S. President Joe Biden has blamed "radical Iran-backed militant groups" for that attack, but said the United States does not seek a wider conflict in the Middle East.

"I don't think we need a wider war in the Middle East. That's not what I'm looking for," Biden said on Tuesday.

(Cover: A Royal Air Force Typhoon FGR4 takes off from RAF Akrotiri for airstrikes against Yemen's Houthi movement, February 3, 2024. /CFP)

(With input from AFP, Xinhua)