Michael Hernandez
May 12, 2018•Update: May 12, 2018
By Michael Hernandez
WASHINGTON
The U.S. on Friday condemned Iran's "destabilizing influence" in the Middle East, pointing to its support for a rebel group in Yemen and recent clashes with Israel.
"Already this week, the IRGC has fired rockets at Israeli citizens, and Iran’s proxies in Yemen have launched a ballistic missile at Riyadh," said White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders, referring to Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps.
"These actions are further proof that the Iranian regime’s reckless actions pose a severe threat to regional peace and security. It is time for responsible nations to bring pressure on Iran to change this dangerous behavior," she added.
The Israeli military claims Iranian forces in Syria fired 20 rockets into the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, all of which were shot down by Israel's Iron Dome air-defense system.
According to the Israeli military, Iranian forces targeted Israeli Defense Forces "forward positions" in the Syrian Golan Heights, which have been occupied by Israel since 1967. But the White House has repeatedly claimed the strikes targeted "Israeli citizens".
It used the phrase shortly after it issued the statement, saying in a readout of President Donald Trump's call with UK Premier Theresa May the "leaders condemned the Iranian regime’s provocative rocket attacks from Syria against Israeli citizens".
"President Trump called on all nations to join the United States and the United Kingdom in making clear that the Iranian regime’s actions pose a severe threat to international peace and stability. The leaders discussed how best to address Iran’s destabilizing behavior," the White House added.
The Israeli military also claimed its fighter jets struck 50 military targets associated with Iran's Quds Force inside Syrian territory.
In a separate development, Yemen's Houthi rebel group fired at least one missile at Saudi Arabia on Wednesday. Saudi Arabia and its Sunni-Arab allies accuse the Shia Houthis of serving as Iranian proxies.
According to official Saudi figures, 31 missiles have been intercepted since March 26 while a total of 135 missiles have been shot down since the kingdom launched its military campaign in Yemen in 2015.
