Iranian president denies sending hypersonic missiles to Yemen's Houthis

ANKARA

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on Monday denied reports of supplying the Yemeni Houthi group with hypersonic missiles or its technology.

Following the Houthi missile attack on Sunday that hit central Israel, Israeli media claimed Iran had supplied the missiles, or at least the technology to develop them, to the Houthis.

Pezeshkian made the statement in his first press conference in Tehran after winning the election in July.

The Iranian president acknowledged that his country possesses hypersonic missiles and satellites. He said "there is no truth in sending the missiles to the Yemenis, but we support them."

He said over the years Houthis developed the missiles themselves.

Pezeshkian, however, stressed that "there is no argument on the necessity to confront the Zionist entity (Israel), it shouldn't be allowed to breach the international and humanitarian laws."

The Houthi group claimed responsibility for the attack on Sunday, saying they targeted a military site in the central Israeli city of Jaffa using a hypersonic ballistic missile with a range of over 2,000 kilometers (1,243 miles).

The Houthi-launched missile targeted central Israel and caused minor injuries to nine people. Fires broke out in nearby forests, and a large cement factory.

In response, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned the Houthi group of severe retaliation, vowing that he would “exact a heavy price” on them.