At the United Nations, Yemen President Mansour Hadi blames Tehran for backing Houthi rebels to undermine a political transition.
Yemeni President Hadi accused Iran of seeking his country’s destruction by backing Houthi rebels in Yemen’s civil war.
In a speech to the United Nations General Assembly, Mr. Hadi blamed Iran for supporting what he called a “military and political coup d’état” by Houthi rebels to undermine a political transition.
“We find ourselves mixed in this battle, this fight for this country and the legitimacy of the state to ensure the country not fall into the hands of Iran, which would like to see the destruction of the country,” Mr. Hadi said. “This was indeed a desperate attempt to impose the Iranian model through the use of force.”
Saudi Arabia supports Mr. Hadi and allied Sunni tribes, while Iran supports the Houthis politically, although it has denied supplying them with weapons. The Houthis are members of the minority Zaidi offshoot of Shiite Islam.