Turkish president visits Iran amid spat over Yemen
Erdogan, who backs coalition against rebels, has criticized Tehran for seeking regional dominance
TEHRAN, Iran — Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan visited Iran on Tuesday despite tensions with Tehran over the crisis in Yemen, where airstrikes by a Saudi-led coalition are targeting Iran-backed Shiite rebels who have taken over much of the country.
The Saudi campaign has turned Yemen into a new front in the conflict between the kingdom and Iran.
Iran’s state TV said Erdogan arrived in Tehran accompanied by several government ministers. He met with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani for talks.
Erdogan has backed the Saudi-led campaign against the Houthis in Yemen. Last month, he lashed out at Iran, accusing it of trying to “dominate the region” and of testing the limits of the region’s tolerance.
Iran denies it is helping the Houthis militarily. Tehran also sees NATO missiles in Turkey and Ankara’s relations with Israel as potential threats.
Times of Israel staff contributed to this report.