Iran was "deeply involved" in planning operations against commercial vessels in the Red Sea and its intelligence was critical to enable Yemen's Houthi movement to target ships, the White House said on Friday.
Iran denies involvement in attacks by the Houthis in the Red Sea © Mena Today
Iran was "deeply involved" in planning operations against commercial vessels in the Red Sea and its intelligence was critical to enable Yemen's Houthi movement to target ships, the White House said on Friday.
Iran-backed Houthis, who say their attacks are in support of Palestinians under siege by Israel in Gaza, have targeted commercial shipping in the Red Sea with drones and missiles, forcing shippers to change course and take longer routes around the southern tip of Africa
"We know that Iran was deeply involved in planning the operations against commercial vessels in the Red Sea. This is consistent with Iran's long-term materiel support and encouragement of the Houthis' destabilizing actions in the region," White House national security spokeswoman Adrienne Watson said in a statement.
"This is an international challenge that demands collective action," Watson said.
Iran denies involvement in attacks by the Houthis in the Red Sea.
The U.S. last week announced a naval coalition involving 20 countries aimed at helping safeguard vessels from attacks in the Red Sea. Some of the countries involved have said operations to protect commercial traffic will be as part of existing naval agreements.
Reporting by Steve Holland, Kanishka Singh and Dan Whitcomb; Editing by Leslie Adler and Rami Ayyub
An apparent drone attack - claimed by the Iranian-backed Houthi militia - hit central Tel Aviv in the early hours of Friday, killing one man and slightly wounding four others, the Israeli military and emergency services said.
Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince and de facto ruler, Mohammed bin Salman, called Iran's newly elected President Massoud Pezeshkian on Wednesday to congratulate him on his recent election victory, according to Saudi state media reports.
Denmark's A.P. Moller-Maersk said on Wednesday that disruption to its container shipping via the Red Sea had extended beyond trade routes between the Far East and Europe to its entire global network.
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