Iran's leader says Saudi air strikes causing genocide

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said Saudi Arabia would not emerge victorious from the war in Yemen, where Iran-allied Houthi fighters who control the capital Sanaa have been trying to seize the southern city of Aden from local militias.

Iran has repeatedly urged a halt in the air strikes and called for dialogue in Yemen, but Khamenei's comments are the most critical yet from Tehran about the offensive by Saudi Arabia and its Arab allies.

"This is a crime and genocide that can be prosecuted in international courts ... Riyadh will not emerge victorious in its aggression," Khamenei said.

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani also criticized the coalition assembled by Riyadh, saying it was repeating errors committed in other parts of the Arab world where Sunni Saudi Arabia and Shi'ite Iran back rival sides.

They were speaking a day after Iran said it was sending two warships to sea off Yemen and a spokesman for the Saudi-led coalition repeated Riyadh's accusations - denied by Iran - that it has trained and equipped the Shi'ite Houthi forces.

Iran summoned the Saudi charge d'affaires in Tehran in response to those "baseless accusations", IRNA news agency said.

Relentless air strikes have not stopped the Houthis, backed by soldiers loyal to former president Ali Abdullah Saleh, from advancing into central Aden.

(reuters.com)