Iran has denied involvement in Houthi military operations after two missiles struck the international airport in Aden, Yemen’s interim capital, late Friday.

The Houthis claimed responsibility for the attack and said the target was the headquarters of the Saudi-led coalition supporting Yemen’s internationally recognized government. The available information does not specify the extent of damage or whether there were casualties at the airport.

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei rejected allegations that Tehran had directed or supported the operation. In a statement, he said, “The Islamic Republic of Iran rejects any claim that Iran has played a role in Yemeni (Houthi) operations.”

Conflicting claims over the escalation

Baqaei said Yemen’s armed forces acted according to their own interests and assessments, adding that claims of Iranian control were not credible to those familiar with Iran’s relations with its allies. He also said Iran did not believe an escalation of tensions served the interests of any party.

Saudi Arabia has taken the opposite position, accusing Tehran of being behind the latest Houthi escalation. The competing claims have not been independently resolved in the information available.

The Saudi-led military coalition also reported intercepting additional missiles and drones on Friday, although it did not specify how many were stopped.

Iran has repeatedly been accused of supporting the Houthis, who have launched attacks against Saudi targets. The reported targets have included airports, energy facilities and vessels in the Red Sea. Since the start of October, the Houthis have reportedly carried out more than 20 attacks on airports and energy facilities in Saudi Arabia.

Calls for mediation

Baqaei reiterated Iran’s offer to mediate between the two sides. He said Tehran “has always been ready to use its good offices to help end the hostilities.”

Saudi Arabia’s deputy minister for public diplomacy, Dr. Rayed Krimly, said Thursday that the Houthis had rejected an offer to meet in Oman at the outset of the latest hostilities.

The latest strike comes amid a broader deterioration in Yemen’s conflict. The source material describes the civil war as having flared again in July, followed by a Houthi offensive in September in which the group seized strategic government-held territory along the Red Sea coast. That area overlooks a major chokepoint for global shipping.

Pressure on Saudi Arabia has also increased as global energy markets remain unsettled by Iran’s reported closure of the Strait of Hormuz in February at the start of a wider Middle East war. A Houthi attack on Riyadh’s international airport the previous week reportedly killed 13 people.

The Aden airport strike marks another development in the confrontation between the Houthis and the Saudi-led coalition, while Iran continues to deny that it has a direct role in Houthi operations.