ISLAMABAD: The speaker of the Iranian parliament on Monday
denied the impression that Tehran was backing Yemeni rebels in their
armed campaign against Saudi Arabia.
Responding to a
question, Dr Ali Ardeshir Larijani denied that Iran had supplied
missiles to Houthi rebels in Yemen. “They are fighting by themselves,”
he maintained.
Riyadh has accused Houthi rebels of firing
at least three ballistic missiles at the kingdom over the past month
alone, terming them ‘acts of war’. However, all the missiles were
intercepted before they could cause any major damage.
Talking
about the recently-concluded Speakers’ Conference, which was attended
by top parliamentarians from six countries, Mr Larijani said it would
contribute towards strengthening economic ties and regional cooperation
against terrorism. “Consultations regarding ways to counter terrorism
have always been useful,” he added.
The Iranian speaker
also hailed Army Chief Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa’s recent visit to Tehran
and hoped that it would prove useful in promoting bilateral relations.
Talking
about the US campaign in Afghanistan, Mr Larijani said the country’s
drug production had risen 45pc since 2001. He accused the US of backing
the so-called Islamic State terror group, and asked that if America
invaded Afghanistan to fight terrorists, why had it “played around” with
them for so long.
Saying that his country was not
competing with Saudi Arabia, he also condemned recent Saudi overtures
towards Tel Aviv, terming it a bad move.
