No Need to Saudi Permission for Iranian Planes’ Landing in Yemen

(FNA)- Supreme Leader's top adviser for international affairs Ali Akbar Velayati rejected the Saudi claims that Tehran should receive permission from Riyadh for entering Yemen's airspace, stressing that no country is allowed to interfere in Yemen's internal affairs or show disrespect for its sovereignty.

"This is an unwarranted claim and the Yemeni people should decide about their internal affairs," Velayati told reporters on the sidelines of his meeting with Director of Bosnia's Strategic Research Center Yassin Rawashde in Tehran on Sunday.

"No other country, under any name, is allowed to interfere in the internal affairs of Yemen and other independent countries; therefore, Yemen's airspace belongs to itself," he added.

Stressing that foreign countries should ask for permission from the Yemeni government and authorities to enter that country and its airspace, Velayati said the era of hegemony has ended and the country (Saudi Arabia) is not in a position to raise such claims.

Iran has sent five consignments of humanitarian aid to Yemen, including a total of 69 tons of relief, medical, treatment, and consumer items, and transferred tens of the wounded people from Sana'a to Tehran for treatment.

Then on Thursday and Friday, the Saudi fighter jets intercepted two Iranian airplanes carrying humanitarian aid from entering Yemen's airspace.

The Iranian cargo planes were carrying food stuff and medical equipment for the Yemeni people as well as a number of wounded people who had been treated in Iranian hospitals.

Earlier this month, Head of the Yemeni Red Crescent Society Mohammad Ahmad al-Kebab in a letter to his Iranian counterpart Seyed Amir Mohsen Ziayee thanked Iran for the recent humanitarian and medical aid cargoes sent to his country.

"I appreciate the unsparing help and relief operations as well as the humanitarian attempts of the Iran Red Crescent Society (IRCS)," al-Kebab said in his letter.

He expressed the hope that interactions and mutual cooperation between the two countries' Red Crescent societies would increase in future.

Last Sunday, the IRCS blasted Saudi Arabia for blocking Iran's humanitarian aids to Yemen.

"The IRCS humanitarian aid consignments are ready to be dispatched to Yemen, but unfortunately Saudi Arabia prevents their delivery to Yemen," Shahabeddin Mohammadi Araqi, IRCS deputy managing director for international and humanitarian affairs, said.

Mohammadi Araqi described the Yemeni people's conditions as critical, and said, "We are in contact with Yemen's Red Crescent Society and Health Ministry and have included their needs in the new consignment."

He lamented that planes and ships are not allowed into Yemen's ports and airports, and said, "Unfortunately, the Saudi government has prevented the dispatch of aids to Yemen."

Saudi Arabia has been striking Yemen for 32 days now to restore power to fugitive president Mansour Hadi, a close ally of Riyadh. The Saudi-led aggression has so far killed at least 3,005 Yemenis, including hundreds of women and children.

Hadi stepped down in January and refused to reconsider the decision despite calls by Ansarullah revolutionaries of the Houthi movement.

Despite Riyadh's claims that it is bombing the positions of the Ansarullah fighters, Saudi warplanes are flattening residential areas and civilian infrastructures.

On Tuesday the monarchy declared end to Yemen airstrikes after four weeks of bombings, but airstrikes are still underway.