Iran criticises Saudi role in Yemen conflict

Tehran: Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on Wednesday lashed out at Saudi Arabia over its role in Yemen's conflict with the Al Houthi rebels, saying it should seek to foster peace rather than using weapons against fellow Muslims.

"We were expecting that Saudi Arabian officials act like a mentor and make peace between brothers, not that they themselves enter the war and use bombs, cannons and machine guns against Muslims," the president said.

"If only a small part of the weapons of Saudi Arabia were used in favour of Gaza and against the Zionist regime [Israel], today there would be no sign of the Zionist regime in the region," he added in a tele-vised speech.

Meanwhile, dialogue with the Al Houthi rebels was encouraged by the Iranian and Omani foreign ministers during a press conference.

Yemen has accused clerics in Iran of backing the rebels and Iranian media have attacked Saudi Arabia for joining in the war against them since November.

"We emphasised the necessity of adopting a solution to ending the crisis. If it continues, it will bring not only instability for Yemen but influence the whole region," Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki told reporters after talks with his Omani counterpart Yousuf Bin Alawi.

Oman, a neighbour of Yemen, maintains close ties with Iran.

It is also a member of the Gulf Cooperation Council that is concerned by Iran's growing influence in the Arab region since the US-led invasion of Iraq in 2003.

Support

"We are prepared to support the Yemeni government in any way possible to find a solution to resolve security concerns there," Bin Alawi said in the comments carried on Iran's English-language Press TV.