By Ahmed al-Haj
Sanaa: Iran has dispatched a destroyer and another naval ship to waters off Yemen, raising the stakes as a Saudi-led air campaign against rebels there continues.
The Iranian manoeuvre comes as the US deepens its support for the Saudi-led coalition, boosting weapons supplies and intelligence-sharing and carrying out the first US aerial refuelling mission of coalition fighter jets.
In this picture taken on April 7 and released by the semi-official Fars News Agency, the Iranian warship Alborz leaves Iran bound for waters off Yemen.Credit: AP
The Iranian warships were sent to the strategic Bab al-Mandab strait as part of an anti-piracy campaign to "safeguard naval routes for vessels in the region", Iranian Rear Admiral Habibollah Sayyari was quoted as saying by state broadcaster Press TV.
Securing navigation in the narrow strait was a key reason for the Saudi-led air and maritime blockade that began after Yemen's internationally recognised president, Abed Rabbu Mansour Hadi, fled the country two weeks ago as the rebels closed in on Aden, Yemen's second-largest city, where he was based.
Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, left, with the Pakistani Prime Minister's Adviser on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz in Islamabad on Wednesday.Credit: AP
The fighting has pitted forces loyal to Mr Hadi against the Houthi rebels and allied military units who back ousted president Ali Abdullah Saleh.
Critics say Iran backs the Houthis, although both the Islamic Republic and the rebels deny any direct military assistance.
On Wednesday, Iranian Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani condemned the Saudi government, accusing it of committing crimes against humanity in Yemen during air strikes that hit civilian areas.
His comments came as Iranian diplomats worked to erode support among Sunni states for the air campaign, visiting Pakistan and Turkey, both supporters of the Saudi-led coalition, and Oman, the only Gulf country that has abstained from participating in the military operation.
Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, right, talks with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Tehran on April 7.Credit: AP
Pakistan's parliament is debating a Saudi request to send soldiers to join the Saudi-led coalition.
Speaking in Islamabad, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said the Islamic Republic was ready to facilitate peace talks in Yemen to form a broad-based government and called for a ceasefire to allow for humanitarian assistance.
"We need to work together to put an end to the crisis in Yemen. The people of Yemen should not suffer from aerial bombardment," Mr Zarif said.
Speaking a day earlier in the Saudi capital, Riyadh, US Deputy Secretary of State Antony Blinken blamed the violence in Yemen on the Houthis and forces loyal to Mr Saleh, saying the US was committed to defending Saudi Arabia.
Meanwhile, the first boats carrying medical aid to Yemen since the March 26 start of the Saudi-led bombing campaign arrived in the southern port city of Aden on Wednesday.
The head of Doctors Without Borders in Yemen, Marie-Elisabeth Ingres, said the ship carried about 2.5 tonnes of supplies from Djibouti for its hospital in Aden.
AP