Rouhani says Saudis will harvest hatred in Yemen
20 April 2015 4:33 AM IST
Since March 26, the Saudi-led coalition has been attacking Shia rebels known as Houthis and allied fighters loyal to Yemen’s ousted President Ali Abdullah Saleh. Iran supports the rebels but denies providing any military support.
Addressing an army parade in Tehran, in a speech broadcast live on state TV Saturday, Rouhani said killing civilians in Yemen will bring neither power nor pride for Saudi Arabia. ‘’What does bombing the innocent ... Yemeni people mean? What goals are you pursuing? Will killing children bring power to you? You planted the seeds of hatred in this region and you will see the response sooner or later,’’ Rouhani said. ``Don’t bomb children, elderly men and women in Yemen. Attacking the oppressed will bring disgrace ... for the aggressors.’’
Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has already called the Saudi-led airstrikes in Yemen ‘’genocide’’ and a ‘’major crime.’’
Iran has presented a four-point plan to end the conflict that includes humanitarian aid, dialogue and the formation of a broad-based Yemeni unity government after a proposed cease-fire was already rejected by Saudi Arabia.
Rouhani also accused Saudi Arabia of providing weapons and funding to terrorist groups in the Middle East. ‘’What does providing financial assistance and weapons to terrorists in Syria, Lebanon and Iraq mean,’’ he asked.
Iran is supporting both Syrian President Bashar Assad and the Iraqi government in its fight against Sunni Muslim extremists, including the Islamic State group. Tehran says Saudi Arabia and several other Middle East governments support the Islamic State group.
Oz FM hails Iran effort to defeat IS
Australia’s foreign minister on Saturday hailed Iran’s efforts to crush the jihadist Islamic State group in Iraq, saying on a rare trip to Tehran that the militants can be defeated.
Julie Bishop is Australia’s highest-ranking official to visit Iran in 12 years and she discussed the conflict in Iraq with her Iranian counterpart Mohammad Javad Zarif. Australia is part of an international coalition in Iraq and has 500 troops deployed there. Iran, though not part of the coalition, has run a parallel campaign using Shiite militias and military advisers to reverse the IS surge that came close to felling the Baghdad government last June. “We are witnessing a more complex and dangerous form of terrorism with Daesh,” Bishop said at a joint press conference, using an Arabic acronym to refer to the militant group.
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