Iran’s Revolutionary Guards have denied accusations that Tehran was behind a Houthi rebel attack on two Saudi oil tankers in June.
Al Arabiya news agency cited the article published by Iran's Fars news agency, which had quoted former Guards general Nasser Shabani as saying: "We asked the Yemenis to attack the two Saudi oil tankers, so they did it."
The original quotes, according to Fars, said: "Media outlets induced an image as if we had asked the Yemenis to strike two Saudi warships and they did that".
However, the retired general went on to refer to the Houthis, and other Iran operatives in the region, adding: "The spiritual children of the revolution in the region have grown their capabilities to the levels that they can plan such operations."
Fars later took down the article and issued a statement on Wednesday saying the commander had been misquoted. The news agency issued a correction, republished the article including the full quote and issued an apology over the statements.
General Shabani also said that the Houthis in Yemen and Lebanese Hezbollah militias "represented Iran's depth in the region".
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Read more:
Five civilians, including two children, killed by Houthi rocket in Yemen
UAE and Arab Coalition strongly back UN efforts to reach a political solution in Yemen
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Guards spokesman General Ramezan Sharif said that General Shabani is a retired officer and served in the military during the Iran-Iraq war in the 1980s.
The United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres said in June that parts of the missiles fired at Saudi Arabia came from Iran. Saudi Arabia has been subject to dozens of ballistic missiles launched by the Houthis at residential cities in the kingdom.
Saudi Arabia has resumed shipping in the Bab Al Mandeb days after they had halted their maritime activity there.
Last month, Saudi Arabia submitted a memorandum of protests to the UN against repeated infringements and violations of Iranian boats and vessels in restricted areas of the Arabian Gulf.
The biog
Favourite food: Tabbouleh, greek salad and sushi
Favourite TV show: That 70s Show
Favourite animal: Ferrets, they are smart, sensitive, playful and loving
Favourite holiday destination: Seychelles, my resolution for 2020 is to visit as many spiritual retreats and animal shelters across the world as I can
Name of first pet: Eddy, a Persian cat that showed up at our home
Favourite dog breed: I love them all - if I had to pick Yorkshire terrier for small dogs and St Bernard's for big
In numbers: PKK’s money network in Europe
Germany: PKK collectors typically bring in $18 million in cash a year – amount has trebled since 2010
Revolutionary tax: Investigators say about $2 million a year raised from ‘tax collection’ around Marseille
Extortion: Gunman convicted in 2023 of demanding $10,000 from Kurdish businessman in Stockholm
Drug trade: PKK income claimed by Turkish anti-drugs force in 2024 to be as high as $500 million a year
Denmark: PKK one of two terrorist groups along with Iranian separatists ASMLA to raise “two-digit million amounts”
Contributions: Hundreds of euros expected from typical Kurdish families and thousands from business owners
TV channel: Kurdish Roj TV accounts frozen and went bankrupt after Denmark fined it more than $1 million over PKK links in 2013
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NO OTHER LAND
Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal
Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham
Rating: 3.5/5
Match info
Uefa Champions League Group C
Liverpool v Napoli, midnight
The specs: 2019 GMC Yukon Denali
Price, base: Dh306,500
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Power: 420hp @ 5,600rpm
Torque: 621Nm @ 4,100rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 12.9L / 100km
Brief scoreline:
Manchester United 0
Manchester City 2
Bernardo Silva 54', Sane 66'
The rules on fostering in the UAE
A foster couple or family must:
- be Muslim, Emirati and be residing in the UAE
- not be younger than 25 years old
- not have been convicted of offences or crimes involving moral turpitude
- be free of infectious diseases or psychological and mental disorders
- have the ability to support its members and the foster child financially
- undertake to treat and raise the child in a proper manner and take care of his or her health and well-being
- A single, divorced or widowed Muslim Emirati female, residing in the UAE may apply to foster a child if she is at least 30 years old and able to support the child financially
