Iranian Speaker Condemns Saudi Massacre of Yemeni Mourners

“It is over one and a half years that the oppressed and resistant people of Yemen have become the subject of military aggression, massacre, violence and cruelty and now again, the world has been shocked by the aggressive Saudi fighter jets’ strikes on a hall in which a mourning ceremony was underway and killed and wounded hundreds of innocent and defenseless civilians,” Larijani said in a message to his counterpart on Sunday.

“This is while certain countries which claim to be supporting human rights and the international circles still continue their silence and ignorance,” he added.

Larijani extended his condolences to the Yemeni legislators and people over losing their beloved ones in the attack, and underlined Iran’s preparedness to transfer the wounded Yemenis to its hospitals in coordination with the Red Cross and Yemen’s Red Crescent Society.

His remarks came after Iranian Defense Minister Brigadier General Hossein Dehqan called for trying the Saudi rulers for their war crimes in Yemen.

“The fanatic, arrogant and aggressive al-Saud regime has committed an unforgivable crime in their continued savage acts against the oppressed and defenseless Yemeni people and this measure should not remain unanswered by the world governments and nations and anyone who keeps silent over this savage act is an accomplice in al-Saud’s crime,” General Dehqan said on Sunday.

He described the Saudi rulers as war criminals, and called for their rapid trial and punishment.

In relevant remarks today, Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) Ali Shamkhani blasted Saudi Arabia for pounding a mourning ceremony in Sana’a, and said the US which supplies Riyadh with weapons should account for the death of the Yemeni civilians.

“Saudi Arabia’s bombing of the mourning ceremony in Yemen has been carried out by the weapons sent and supplied by the US to the aggressive Saudi army and the US is an accomplice to this crime and should account for it,” Shamkhani said.

Stressing that the public opinion in the West should be aware of their governments’ role in the Yemen war, he said, “Selling arms to Saudi Arabia and the UAE plays a pivotal role in the military aggression against Yemen and the massacre of the innocent Yemeni people, which should be stopped.”

Shamkhani also referred to the Saturday destruction of an Emirati warship in the waters near Bab al-Mandab Strait by the Yemeni army and popular forces, and said that the Yemenis defended their sovereignty and territorial integrity against an aggressor.

Reports from Yemen’s capital said on Saturday that over 700 people were killed or wounded in massive air raids by the Saudi-led coalition warplanes.

The airstrikes targeted a hall where people were paying their last respects to the father of Yemen’s Interior Minister Jalal Al-Rouyshan who is also the chief of staff of former President Ali Abdullah Salih.

A second strike hit exactly the same region as people rushed to aid those injured in the first round of air assault.

Also, the Saudi warplanes staged massive airstrikes on a ceremony on the house of Sheikh Abu Shwareb, inflicting tens of casualties on the civilians who had gathered for a ceremony at his residence.

The airstrikes killed at least 213 people, and wounded 534.

Saudi Arabia has been striking Yemen since March 2015 to restore power to fugitive president Mansour Hadi, a close ally of Riyadh. The Saudi-led aggression has so far killed at least 11,300 Yemenis, including hundreds of women and children.

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

According to several reports, the Saudi-led air campaign against Yemen has drove the impoverished country towards humanitarian disaster.