Iran relief plane denied landing in Yemen

Middle East, News April 24, 2015 , by IRIA No Comments

Iran summons Saudi Envoy over blocking Tehran’s humanitarian aid to Yemen and complains the blockade to Red Cross

An Iranian plane carrying humanitarian goods for the war-torn people of Yemen was forced to return to Tehran after Saudi Arabia’s fighter jets refused the cargo plane landing in Yemen.

Vehid Rahmati, an official with Iran’s Red Crescent Society said the Iranian Foreign Ministry had even obtained the required permission from Saudi Arabia for the plane to enter Saudi airspace on its way to Yemen. “But unfortunately while landing, the Arab fighters didn’t let the plane to land in Sana’a airport and the plane returned to Tehran,” Rahmati said.

Iran’s Foreign Ministry has complained to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) that humanitarian aid sent to Yemen was blocked by Saudi Arabia.

Deputy Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian called Peter Maurer, the president of the ICRC, after a second Iranian aid plane was turned back by Saudi Arabian jets on Friday, the Islamic Republic News Agency reported.

In the absence of the Saudi ambassador to Iran, the country’s chargé d’affaires was summoned to the foreign ministry after the Saudi warplanes prevented the cargo planes of the Iranian Red Crescent Society (IRCS), carrying pharmaceutical aids and also the wounded Yemenis who have been treated (in Iran), from entering Yemen’s airspace despite obtaining the needed permissions from Saudi Arabia.

Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian in a telephone conversation with President of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) Peter Maurer blasted Saudi Arabia for blocking Iran’s humanitarian aid to the Yemeni people.

“The Saudi warplanes have prevented the cargo planes of the Iranian Red Crescent Society (IRCS), carrying pharmaceutical aids and also the wounded Yemenis who have been treated (in Iran), from entering Yemen’s airspace despite obtaining the needed permissions (from Saudi Arabia),” Amir Abdollahian said during the phone conversation.

An Iranian foreign ministry diplomat said that the IRCS had obtained the needed permissions for Oman-Yemen flights and sent its airplanes carrying pharmaceutical aid and the treated wounded Yemenis to Yemen over the past two days, but unfortunately each time the Saudi warplanes approached the Iranian cargo plane and forced them to return.

Saudi Arabia along with its Arab allies launched a military campaign against Yemen on March 26.

Later on April 21, Saudis declared a halt to the month-long air campaign. But hours later, air strikes and ground fighting resumed and the International Red Cross described the humanitarian situation as “catastrophic.”