Iran Dismisses UK’s Baseless Claim of Intercepting Yemen-Bound ‘ Iranian Arms Shipment’

Spokesman Nasser Kan'ani made the remarks on Thursday, following a British government statement claiming that a UK "Royal Navy vessel" intercepted a Yemen-bound cargo of "advanced Iranian missiles" in the Gulf of Oman.

Calling the claim "baseless," he added that the UK is a "partner in the [coalition's] aggression against the defenseless people of Yemen" due to its "constant" sales of cutting-edge weapons to the Saudi-led coalition fighting in Yemen since 2015.

As a result, Britain is "not in a position to present such unfounded accusations against the Islamic Republic while assuming a humanitarian posture," he asserted.

Since the start of the Saudi-led coalition invasion, the British government has sold eight billion pounds ($9.6 million) in arms to the invading countries, including bombs, air-to-surface and cruise missiles, and warplanes, according to the spokesman.

Separately, Britain has granted exclusive permits to the country's arms manufacturers to sell weapons to the coalition, which multiplies the overall volume of the UK's arms sales to the invaders, according to Kan'ani.

The invasion has been seeking to restore Yemen’s power to the country’s former Saudi- and Western-aligned officials.

It has killed tens of thousands of Yemenis in the process and turned the entire Yemen into the scene of the world’s worst humanitarian crisis.

"In fact, Britain has trusted the invaders with these weapons despite knowing that they would be used to commit war crimes and attack schools, hospitals, wedding ceremonies, and food storage facilities," the spokesman said.

The UK’s weapons sales to the invaders is among the reasons behind the deadly aggression’s perpetuation, he said, adding, “Therefore, this country (the UK) is deprived of the moral competence [that is required] for laying such claims against the Islamic Republic.”