Israel benefiting from Saudi‘dirty’ war on Houthi rebels,senior Iranian politician says

American talk of all options being on the table is a bluff, supreme leader says of nuclear negotiations.

By ARIEL BEN SOLOMON
Shi'ite Muslim rebels in Sanaa, Yemen, March 26, 2013 (photo credit: REUTERS)
Shi'ite Muslim rebels in Sanaa, Yemen, March 26, 2013
(photo credit: REUTERS)
Ali Larijani, the speaker of the Iranian parliament, said on Sunday that Israel is benefiting from Saudi Arabia’s “dirty” war on Yemen, the Iranian Tasnim News Agency reported.
Iranian officials have been strongly criticizing the Saudi-led campaign in Yemen for bombing the Houthi rebels, who are supported by Iran.
Larijani said that Riyadh’s “bellicose policy” arouses feelings of hatred for the Saudi government. He went on to claim that the Saudis will never reach their objectives in their offensive, as the attacks only turn the Muslim people against it.
President Hassan Rouhani, speaking on Saturday to mark Army Day, also criticized the Saudi bombings, saying, “Does the killing of children bring you power or might?” “Our strategy has always been the strategy of active deterrence. This deterrence is aimed at independence, peace and security in our country and the regional state,” said Rouhani, Fars News Agency reported.
Meanwhile, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei told military commanders on Sunday that US talk of all options being on the table is a “bluff,” Tasnim reported.
“On the other hand they [the Americans] say the Islamic Republic of Iran should stop progress in the field of defense, which is a stupid remark,” Khamenei added.
“The Islamic Republic of Iran will never accept such stupid remarks, and the Iranian nation has proved that if it comes under attack, it will defend itself quite powerfully, and will unitedly fight off the illogical attacker like a solid fist.”
Yemen’s government rejected a four-point peace plan for the country that Iran submitted to the United Nations, a spokesman said on Saturday.
Saudi Arabia and its Sunni coalition partners have been bombing Iranian-allied Houthi rebels for three weeks in order to halt advances that could give the rebels full control of the country.
Reuters contributed to this report.