TEHRAN, March 3 (Xinhua) -- Iran on Friday rejected as "baseless" Britain's claim of "having seized a shipment of Iranian arms" in the Gulf of Oman likely heading toward Yemen.
The British navy on Thursday claimed to have "seized anti-tank missiles and fins for ballistic missile assemblies during a raid on a small boat heading from Iran likely to Yemen" in the Gulf of Oman, in a joint operation with U.S. forces.
Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Nasser Kanaani responded in a statement that those countries that have sent weapons worth billions of U.S. dollars to the "coalition" cannot exonerate themselves by accusing others.
These countries, which are among the biggest exporters of weaponry and military equipment to conflict zones, seek to "mislead global public opinion through making unfounded claims and spreading false news," read the statement published on the ministry's website.
Kanaani called on these countries, instead of avoiding their responsibility regarding the imposed war on the Yemeni people, to end their "opportunistic and profiteering" approach toward the "cruel" war in the Arab country.
Yemen has been mired in a civil war since late 2014 when the Iran-backed Houthi militia seized control of several northern provinces and forced the Saudi-backed Yemeni government out of the capital Sanaa. ■
