Yemen accuses Iran of pursuing its destruction

Yemen's President Abdrabbu Mansour Hadi on Tuesday accused Iran of pursuing the destruction of his country.

Speaking at the United Nations, Hadi thanked Saudi King Salman for acting with "utter determination" by leading an air campaign by Gulf states against Iranian-backed Houthi militias, who seized the capital, Sanaa, last year.

"We find ourselves mixed in this battle, this fight for the country and the legitimacy of the state to ensure that the country not fall into the hands of Iran, which would like to see the destruction of the country," Hadi told the annual U.N. General Assembly gathering of world leaders.

Hadi also blamed the Houthis for the humanitarian crisis.

"You are aware of the human tragedy of our people, and this is due to the blockade imposed by the militias," he said.

In response, a senior Iranian foreign ministry official was quoted by Reuters news agency as saying: "Iran has never interfered in any country's state matters and will never do it. We support peace and stability in the region."

The Houthi offensive had forced Hadi's government to flee to Riyadh, the Saudi capital. Only last week, Hadi returned to Yemen after the Gulf-backed forces recaptured Aden in July.

Those forces are now preparing for a offensive against Sanaa.

The United Nations has designated Yemen as one of its highest-level humanitarian crises, placing it alongside emergencies in South Sudan, Syria and Iraq. It says more than 21 million people in Yemen need help, or about 80 percent of the population.

(With Reuters)