Yemen govt. spokesman denies severing of ties with Iran
- 9 years ago
A spokesman for Yemen's Saudi-backed government denied a television report on Friday that it had decided to break off diplomatic relations with Iran.
"The cabinet has not discussed until now the matter of severing diplomatic relations with Iran and no decision was taken," spokesman Rajeh Badi said, commenting on the unsourced report from state-owned Aden television.
Iran is an ally of the Houthi fighters who seized control of the country last year and forced the government of President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi into exile.
Six months of civil war and hundreds of coalition air strikes have killed more than 5,400 people in Yemen, according to the United Nations, and exacerbated widespread hunger and suffering.
"The cabinet has not discussed until now the matter of severing diplomatic relations with Iran and no decision was taken," spokesman Rajeh Badi said, commenting on the unsourced report from state-owned Aden television.
Iran is an ally of the Houthi fighters who seized control of the country last year and forced the government of President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi into exile.
Six months of civil war and hundreds of coalition air strikes have killed more than 5,400 people in Yemen, according to the United Nations, and exacerbated widespread hunger and suffering.