Baku, Azerbaijan, May 12
By Umid Niayesh - Trend:
An Iranian cargo ship carrying relief supplies to Yemen has entered the Gulf of Oman on its way to the Yemeni port of Hodeida.
The ship carrying 2,500 metric tons of humanitarian aid including food and medicine left Iran's southern Bandar Abbas port on May 11 evening.
The ship also carries rescue workers from the Iran's Red Crescent Society (IRCS) as well as some 20 journalists, Iran's Fars news agency reported May 12
The IRCS has made "necessary coordination" on the issue with the Red Crescent Societies of Yemen, Oman, Djibouti and the International Committee of the Red Cross.
Earlier, Ali Asghar Ahmadi Secretary-General of the IRCS said that the Islamic Republic has informed the Red Crescent Society of the Saudi Arabia about sending the cargo. The ship is scheduled to arrive at the Hodeida port in ten days.
The Saudi Arabia-led coalition has imposed an air and naval blockade on Yemen as part of its campaign to oust the Iranian-backed Shiite Houthi rebels, who have taken most of the country and forced President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi to flee to Riyadh.
Saudi fighter jets have prevented Iranian planes from entering Yemeni airspace in recent weeks.
Iran says that the planes were carrying humanitarian aid to Yemen, meanwhile Saudi Arabia accuse the country of providing military support to the Yemeni Shiite rebels.
It was earlier reported that Tehran has decided to send its humanitarian aids to Yemen through Oman.
Hossein Amir Abdollahian, the Islamic Republic's deputy foreign minister for Arab and African affairs said on May 5 that Iran would not tolerate the blockade on Yemen.
He reiterated that Tehran considers Yemen's security as its own and the Islamic Republic would not give up its efforts to send humanitarian aids to Yemen.
Edited by CN
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