Iran rejects ‘invalid’ Israeli claim ship seized by Houthis with Tehran’s guidance

Iran dismisses as “invalid” Israel’s accusations that Yemen’s Houthi rebels were acting on Tehran’s “guidance” when they seized a Red Sea ship owned by an Israeli businessman.

The Iran-backed rebels in Yemen seized the Galaxy Leader yesterday, days after they threatened to target Israeli vessels in the waterway over Israel’s war with Hamas in the Gaza Strip.

Maritime security company Ambrey said the vessel’s “group owner is listed as Ray Car Carriers,” whose parent company belongs to Abraham “Rami” Ungar, an Israeli businessman.

The office of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the ship “was hijacked with Iran guidance by the Yemenite Houthi militia.”

Iran’s foreign ministry spokesman Nasser Kanani says the Israeli accusations were “invalid” and “projection meant to escape from the situation they are facing.”

“We have repeatedly announced that the resistance groups in the region represent their countries and make decisions and act based on the interests of their countries,” he says.

“The Zionist regime (Israel) cannot accept that it suffered a major defeat in Palestine and wants to find a justification for the defeat it suffered by accusing the Islamic Republic of Iran,” Kanani adds.