Alwaght- Iran's foreign ministry spokeswoman condemned Saudi airstrikes on Yemen that left a number of innocent civilians dead or wounded.
Marziyeh Afkham on Thursday denounced the invasion and described it as a "dangerous step that runs counter to international obligations to respect countries' national sovereignty".
She warned that resorting to military measures against Yemen, while the country is combatting terrorism and undergoing a domestic crisis, will only complicate the situation further, amplify the extent of the crisis and remove opportunities for the peaceful resolution of internal differences.
The Iranian foreign ministry spokeswoman called for an immediate halt to airstrikes and all other military actions against Yemen.
She further voiced concerns over the spread of extremism and terrorism as a result of the invasion, saying that it would extend insecurity to the entire region.
Saudi Arabia and its Persian Gulf Arab allies late on Wednesday began a military operation in Yemen.
At least 25 Yemeni citizens have been killed in the overnight airstrikes.
Riyadh announced in the early hours of Thursday that it had begun launching airstrikes in Yemen where the Ansarullah fighters have been making advances.
"The operation is to defend the legitimate government," Adel al-Jubeir, the Saudi envoy to the US, asserted in a rare news conference at the Saudi embassy in Washington on Wednesday, referring to the administration of fugitive President Hadi, whose whereabouts are unknown after reportedly fleeing the country earlier in the day.
"We consulted very closely with many of our allies and in particular with the United States. We are very pleased with the outcome of those discussions," he said. "We have a situation where you have a militia group that is now in control or can be in control of ballistic missiles, heavy weapons and an air force."
Meanwhile, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, the UAE along with Saudi Arabia released a joint statement that they "have decided to answer the call of President Hadi” against the movement's "aggression".
The statement, published by the Saudi Press Agency (SPA), included all member states of the Persian Gulf Cooperation Council (PGCC) except Oman.
