Kerry: US aware of Iran’s support for Houthis

US Secretary of State John Kerry said yesterday that his country is aware of Iran’s support for the Houthis in Yemen and that Washington will continue supporting its allies in the region who feel threatened by Iran, the Anadolu Agency reported.

“We’re not looking for confrontation, obviously, but we’re not going to step away from our alliances and our friendships and the need to stand with those who feel threatened as a consequence of the choices that Iran might be making,” Kerry told PBS’s NewsHour programme.

Arab and Western countries accuse Iran of intervening in Yemeni affairs by supporting Shia Houthi rebels, a charge Tehran denies.

Iranian officials have criticised the Saudi-led “Operation Storm of Resolve” against Houthi rebels and militants loyal to former Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh. Saudi Arabia said the military operation came in response to Yemeni President Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi calls for military intervention to protect the Yemeni people from the Houthis.