TEHRAN: Iran’s foreign ministry on Monday strongly rejected the accusations made by Washington that a drone attack targeting a Japanese-owned chemical tanker off the coast of India was “fired from Iran.” The incident occurred on Saturday amidst a series of drone and missile attacks by Yemen’s Houthi rebels in the Red Sea, expressing solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza amid ongoing conflict with Israel.
The Pentagon openly attributed the tanker attack to Tehran, a claim vehemently denied by Iran’s foreign ministry spokesman Nasser Kanani, who labeled the accusations as “completely rejected and worthless.” Kanani further asserted that such claims were intended to divert public attention and cover up the US government’s support for Israel’s actions in Gaza.
Gaza has endured over 11 weeks of Israeli air and ground attacks, resulting in a large number of civilian casualties, according to the health ministry in the territory.
Iran Criticizes UK Foreign Secretary’s Remarks
Kanani also criticized recent remarks by UK Foreign Secretary David Cameron, dismissing them as “repetitive” and “threadbare.” Cameron had branded Iran as a “malign influence in the region and the world,” calling for deterrent measures against it.
Amidst these developments, Yemeni rebels’ attacks on shipping vessels in the Red Sea have led major companies to reroute their cargo vessels around the southern tip of Africa, resulting in longer voyages with higher fuel costs. Iran has consistently denied US and Israeli allegations of its involvement in Houthi attacks, maintaining that the group acts independently.
