Iran rejects US claims that Houthis act as Tehran proxies

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei has rejected claims by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio that Yemen’s Houthi rebels operate as proxies for Tehran. Baghaei asserted that Ansarallah is an “independent Yemeni actor” that makes its own decisions and “takes orders from no one.”

The dispute follows statements by Rubio, who implicated an “Iranian hand” behind recent Houthi attacks targeting Saudi Arabia. In response, Baghaei accused the United States of driving regional instability through military interventions and “hegemonic policies.”

Baghaei urged Washington to withdraw its military presence to foster genuine stability and emphasized that peace in Yemen must be achieved through diplomatic negotiations and established roadmaps rather than external pressure or force.