Iran's envoy to the United Nations is refuting Tehran’s role in supplying Houthi rebels with sophisticated and heavy weapons to target vessels in the Red Sea.

Reacting to a UN Security Council briefing on the Yemen crisis, Amir Saeid Iravani dismissed statements made by the US and UK as "baseless allegations”.

Since November, the Iran-backed Houthi rebels have been targeting vessels in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. They proclaim that these attacks will persist until Israel halts its operations in Gaza. The attacks began after Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei called on Muslims to blockade Israel.

In response, the US and UK have carried out several rounds of strikes against an array of Houthi targets in Yemen.

“The Islamic Republic of Iran categorically rejects these baseless allegations, considering them as a pretext utilized by the United States and the United Kingdom to advance their short-sighted political agenda as well as to justify and validate their ongoing unlawful actions and military aggression against Yemen,” the Iranian envoy said in a letter to the president of the UN security council.

While Iran’s military support for the Houthi rebels goes back to at least 2009, Tehran often claims it merely offers political support to the group.

As experts note, the growing Houthi-Iran “integration” has allowed the Houthis to turn from a local guerrilla group to a more sophisticated armed force able to strike ground and maritime targets throughout the region.

Early this year, American forces intercepted an Iranian shipment, carrying military aid to the Houthis – including drone parts, missile warheads, and anti-tank missile units.

UK, US call for UN action on Iran's Yemen missiles

During the security council meeting, the US and UK urged UN intervention through its maritime inspectorate to prevent more Iranian missiles from reaching Houthi-controlled ports in western Yemen.

Reports of Iranian ships circumventing these inspections are therefore extremely concerning. The UK calls on Iran to cease its unlawful support for the Houthis. All ships entering Hudaydah must comply and report to UNVIM for inspection,” James Kariuki, the UK ambassador to the UN said.

Originally established in 2016, the UN Verification and Inspection Mechanism (UNVIM) is a framework established to inspect commercial shipping bound for Yemen, aiming to prevent the smuggling of weapons and illicit goods into the country.

During the briefing, a missile reportedly launched by Yemen’s Houthi militia struck a vessel near the southern city of Aden, resulting in no damage. Concurrently, US forces launched missiles at Hodeidah international airport.

Meanwhile, Chinese and Russian envoys argued that the US and UK lacked UN authorization for their repeated attacks on Houthi missile sites.