Tehran, Iran, February 15
By Mehdi Sepahvand - Trend:
Iran has rejected claims by the Saudi-led coalition that it has detained an Iranian ship near Yemen.
The spokesman of Iran's Foreign Ministry Hossein Jaber Ansari dismissed the claim, speaking at a press conference in Tehran, Trend's correspondent reported from the event.
Previous reports indicated that the Saudi-led coalition fighting Houthi rebels in Yemen has intercepted a cargo ship coming from Djibouti to Hodeidah port, carrying military equipment under the guise of carrying medical supplies.
Coalition sources told Sky News Arabia that a search of the ship Menburt Cedar, which was bearing the flag of the Marshall Islands, showed that it was carrying encrypted military communication equipment and other military hardware in containers originating from the port of Bandar Abbas in southern Iran.
"Neighbors are neighbors and cannot change their neighborhood. Iran and Saudi Arabia have to ease their tensions at last, the sooner the better," Ansari said.
The crisis erupted between Riyadh and Tehran after execution of a prominent Shia cleric, Nimr al-Nimr by Saudis on Jan. 2.
Following al-Nimr's execution, angry Iranian protesters attacked Saudi embassy in Tehran and consulate in Mashhad. Right after the attacks on its diplomatic missions, the Saudi Arabia said it severed ties with the Islamic Republic.
Currently, Switzerland is represent Iran's interests in Riyadh, in the absence of formal relations between the two countries.