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The Iranian embassy in Sana’a rejected and deplored media reports claiming that Yemeni President Abd Rabuh Mansur Hadi has accused Tehran of meddling in his country’s internal affairs.
In a statement on Saturday, the Iranian mission underlined that the allegations raised against Tehran are unacceptable.

Stressing that the embassy is scrutinizing the reality of the remarks attributed to President Hadi against Iran through relevant officials in Yemen, the statement said that certain regional parties are attempting to project the blame on others by releasing such fake media reports.

The statement came after some Arab media outlets quoted the Yemeni president as saying that Tehran was trying to trade Sana’a for the Syrian capital, Damascus.

“Iran heavily interferes in Yemen’s affairs and there are four groups affiliated to it that are working against Yemen, and there are Iranian advisers (working with Houthi leader) Abdelmalek al-Houthi,” Hadi was quoted as claiming in some Arab media.

The Arab media also alleged that the Yemeni government has decided to close its embassy in Tehran.

Hundreds of thousands of anti-government Yemenis staged demonstrations across the country, as fresh crisis triggered by steep fuel price hike escalates in the impoverished country.

Supporters of the Shiite Houthi Movement rallied in the capital Sana’a and more than ten provinces in Yemen on Friday, demanding the government to resume fuel subsidies and resignation of the cabinet.

Houthi accused Mohammed Salim Basindawa’s government of incompetence and making empty promises, urging members of the army and security forces to join the planned protests and not become a tool in the hand of the government.

Yemen’s Houthi movement draws its name from the tribe of its founding leader Hussein Badreddin al-Houthi.

The Houthi movement played a key role in the popular revolution that forced former dictator Ali Abdullah Saleh to step down.

Saleh, who ruled Yemen for 33 years, stepped down in February 2012 under a US-backed power transfer deal in return for immunity, after a year of mass street demonstrations demanding his ouster.