Iran rejects US Yemen destabilization claims

Iran's ambassador and deputy permanent representative to the UN, Hossein Darzi, formally rejected US allegations that Tehran is destabilizing Yemen or using commercial flights to Sana'a to transfer military personnel or equipment in violation of UN Security Council Resolution 2216. In a letter to UN Secretary-General António Guterres and the Security Council, Darzi called the claims 'baseless' and 'hypocritical,' asserting that Iranian flights to Sana'a are purely humanitarian. He criticized US military actions against Yemen in March 2025 and its selective interpretation of Resolution 2722, arguing these undermine the UN-facilitated political process. The exchange follows recent Saudi airstrikes on Sana'a International Airport, which Yemeni forces responded to with missile and drone strikes on Saudi Arabia — Abha International Airport, a naval blockade of Saudi Arabia, and operations against Saudi-linked vessels and oil facilities. The conflict, ongoing since 2015, has caused tens of thousands of deaths and a severe humanitarian crisis.