Iran has denied providing military support to the Houthi rebel movement in Yemen
The
Saudi-led coalition battling Houthi rebels in Yemen says it has seized
an Iranian fishing boat loaded with weapons for them in the Arabian Sea.
The
vessel, carrying shells and rockets, was intercepted 241km (150 miles)
south-east of the Omani port of Salalah on Saturday, a statement said.
Its 14 Iranian crew members were detained, the statement added.
Saudi Arabia and its allies accuse Iran of providing military support to the Houthis - something it denies.
The
weapons found on the fishing boat were listed by the coalition as 18
anti-armour Concourse shells, 54 anti-tank BGM17 shells, 15 shell
battery kits, four firing guidance systems, five binocular batteries,
three launchers, one launcher holder and three batteries.
Iranian officials have so far not commented on the report.
On
Tuesday, Yemen's President Abdrabbuh Mansour Hadi told the UN General
Assembly that Iran "would like to see the destruction of the country".
But a senior Iranian foreign ministry official told
the Reuters news agency: "Iran has never interfered in any country's
state matters and will never do it. We support peace and stability in
the region."
Mr
Hadi also thanked Saudi Arabia's King Salman for his "utter
determination" in pursuing a military campaign to defeat the rebels and
restore his government.
The coalition launched air strikes in
Yemen six months ago, after Mr Hadi was forced to flee abroad when the
rebels advanced on the second city of Aden.
Last week, the
president returned to Aden, where his government has set up a temporary
base as southern militiamen and coalition forces press northwards
towards the rebel-held capital, Sanaa.
The UN says some 5,000
people, including 2,355 civilians, have been killed in air strikes and
fighting on the ground since 26 March.
The coalition's blockade of
Yemen's air and seaports has also greatly exacerbated the "extremely
dire" humanitarian situation in the country, according to the UN.
Some
21 million people, or 80% of the population, now require some form of
humanitarian assistance and almost 1.5 million people are internally
displaced.
Title : Yemen conflict: Iranian boat 'carrying weapons' seized
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