The Alborz destroyer and Bushehr support vessel sailed from Bandar Abbas on a mission to protect Iranian shipping from piracy, Rear Admiral Habibollah Sayyari said in comments cited by Press TV.
Saudi Arabia and several Arab allies have imposed an air and naval blockade on Yemen as part of a two-week campaign to oust the Houthis, who have taken most of the country and forced President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi to flee to Riyadh.
The Iranian ships will patrol the Gulf of Aden, south of Yemen, and the Red Sea, Sayyari said. The area is one of the world's most important shipping routes and a gateway between Europe and the Middle East.
Meanwhile, Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed al-Nayahan, Foreign Minister of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) said the Saudi-led coalition carrying out air strikes on Houthi fighters in Yemen seek a U.N. Security Council resolution requiring all to pursue dialogue and imposing a ban on arms purchases by Houthis and other groups “that are out of line”.
Asked about evidence to back up allegations that Iran provided support for Houthi fighters, Sheikh Abdullah said “Iran is not carrying out this activity only in Yemen, it is conducting the same activity in Lebanon, in Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan.”
"It is not possible to accept any strategic threat to Gulf Arab states," he added.
Iran denies arming the Houthis and has condemned the Saudi-led offensive against the Houthis of which the UAE is a part.
Source: Reuters; Press TV
