Iran denies Saudi allegations it gave Yemen rebels missiles

Yemen’s internationally recognised government, based in Saudi Arabia, has made similar demands but insisted that the Houthis fulfil all those measures before any new government was formed. Some of the wounded are in critical condition, which may lead to a higher death toll.

United Nations -sponsored negotiations to end 18 months of fighting in the impoverished country on Saudi Arabia’s southern border collapsed earlier this month and the dominant Iran-allied Houthi movement there resumed shelling attacks into the kingdom.

Houthi supporters and activists posted photographs on social media showing lifeless bodies of children and charred remains in the aftermath on the attack. While Iran’s foreign minister dismissed the statements as “baseless accusations”, Kerry said he was “deeply troubled” after allegedly viewing Saudi photographs that showed Iranian missiles along the Saudi-Yemeni border, according to AP.

The attack came a day after rockets fired from Yemen struck a power station in Najran, marking a rare hit on Saudi Arabia’s infrastructure after months of periodic bombardment of the area. Zeid’s office says an estimated 3,799 civilians have been killed since then.

Saudi Arabia accuses the Houthis of being an Iranian proxy, which the rebels deny.

UN-sponsored peace talks in Kuwait between the Yemeni government and Houthis collapsed this month.

In the course of Kerry’s comments, he quickly shifted focus away from Yemen and angrily condemning Iran as a “threat to the United States”, comments which always play well to a Saudi audience.

The tour coincided with increased criticism of Saudi Arabia over civilian casualties in its Yemen bombing campaign.

Kerry told reporters that he raised concerns about civilian causalities in Yemen in his meetings. Saudi warplanes destroyed a pair of houses in the city of Saada, on the Yemeni side of the border, on Friday, killing 11 civilians within.

And despite Kerry’s words about seeking peace in Yemen, the US continues to supply Saudi Arabia with weapons that have been used to kill civilians in that country.