Iran Rejects Paris, London Claims of Supplying Yemen with Missiles

TEHRAN (defapress)- The Iranian foreign ministry dismissed claims by the British and French officials that Tehran has supplied Yemen with missiles, describing them as "lies and a foolish scenario".

News ID: 68780

Date: 21 February 2018 - 14:16

"Iran's missile program is defensive and deterrent and claims about the dispatch of missiles to Yemen despite the all-out blockade on this country are lies and a foolish scenario designed to exonerate the aggressors," Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Bahram Qassemi said on Tuesday.

He added that Britain and France have expressed their concern over Iran's defensive missile program without providing any reason or wise justification.

British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson in a statement on Monday called on Iran to stop what he called as taking actions which could lead to further escalation of the Yemeni conflict.

His remarks came on the same day that the French foreign ministry also claimed in a statement that Paris was concerned about Iran's ballistic missiles program and its activities in the region.

In reaction to the allegations, Qassemi said the Islamic Republic has designed its defensive missile program based on its military doctrine and valuable experience it obtained during the eight-year war imposed on it by Iraq backed by major global powers in the 1980s.

He added that Iran's missile program aims to deter any aggression by extremist powers against the country.

"In this a clear path that is completely in conformity with international principles, we will never accept other countries' intervention and regard as irresponsible and suspicious the adoption of such unprincipled stance and strongly reject them," Qassemi said.

He underlined that the Yemeni army and people have no need to foreign countries' weapons, saying the Yemenis' defense of their country's dignity with minimum facilities has led to the defeat of aggressors.

Iranian Defense Minister Brigadier General Amir Hatami and Commander of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) Major General Mohammad Ali Jafari had earlier dismissed the US officials' allegations about the supply of Iranian missiles to Yemen.

"The US can't accuse Iran of any event that happens in the region, although this is not unlikely of the enemy to raise such accusations," General Hatami said in November.

"The enemy uses any opportunity to level accusations against Iran and we firmly reject it," he added.

"Does anyone ask the US what they supply to Saudi Arabia," General Hatami said.

Meantime, General Jafari dismissed the allegations that Iran has supplied Ansarullah with missiles that hit the Saudi airport as "baseless".

"We don’t have the means and possibility to send missiles to Yemen and the missiles belong to themselves and they have increased their range," he underlined.

General Jafari said that the allegations are of a series of "baseless remarks and allegations" that US President Donald Trump has leveled against Iran.