Tehran Slams Saudi Arabia's Attacks on Yemeni Civilians During 'Fruitless War'

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Bahram Qassemi criticized on Wednesday Riyadh's airstrikes carried out against civilians in Yemen, attributing them to Saudi Arabia's frustration with the "fruitless war."

MOSCOW (Sputnik) – Qassemi added that Tehran regards Saudi Arabia as the "cause of bloody crimes against Arab nations of Syria, Iraq and Yemen" and stressed that Riyadh betrayed Muslim people by siding with Tel Aviv in the issue of Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

"Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir's justification of brutal attacks against Yemeni civilians, women and children is a sign of his country's frustration and heavy defeat by strong commitment of Yemen's tireless people," Qassemi said as quoted by FARS News.

Since 2014, Yemen has been engulfed in a military conflict between the legitimate government of Hadi and Iran-allied Houthi rebels, supported by forces loyal to former President Ali Abdullah Saleh.

Since March 2015, the Saudi-led coalition of Arab states started a military campaign to defeat the rebels and restore the legitimate government.

The civilian death toll in the Yemeni conflict has surpassed 11,000 as of October 2016, according to UN report, citing human rights monitors.