Iran denies sending weapons to Yemen amid tensions with US

This file photo taken on November 10, 2019 shows an Iranian flag in Iran's Bushehr nuclear power plant, during an official ceremony to kick-start work on a second reactor at the facility. ATTA KENARE AFP TEHRAN - Iran's Foreign Ministry denied on Monday that it had sent weapons to Yemen.

In response to a question about an allegation that an Iranian vessel with ammunition was stopped on the way to Yemen recently, the Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Nasser Kanaani said that the repeated allegation is only made for political exploitation. READ MORE: UN: 2 missile launchers found in Yemen appear to be from Iran.

On Saturday, the US Navy said it had seized an Iranian fishing trawler with ammunition en route to Yemen.

Iran has always used its full capacity to establish peace, stability and security in Yemen, and believes that only the Yemenis can make decisions regarding their fate without the interference of outsiders, Kanaani said.

He noted that accusations against Iran were a continuation of the US government's approach as the main supporter of the aggression against Yemen, which has caused a humanitarian crisis in the Arab country.

READ MORE: Iran wants regional dialogue to settle disputes over Yemen

Since late 2014, Yemen has been a victim of a civil war when the Iran-backed Houthi militia seized control of the northern provinces and forced the Saudi-backed Yemeni government of President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi out of the capital Sanaa. In the following year, the Saudi-led coalition intervened to support the Yemeni government.