Riyadh, New York, Abu Dhabi- A high-ranking U.S. official told Asharq Al-Awsat that Iran is responsible for actions that are shaking the stability of Yemen and that the U.S. along with its partners will cooperate to restrain Tehran from these actions.

The official, who preferred to remain anonymous, affirmed that the U.S. is committed to the navigation freedom in Bab al-Mandeb, decrying the assault of Houthis on the UAE ship “Swift.”

These remarks came in response to the accusations of Iran’s spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs that the U.S. is delivering weapons to Yemen.

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, during his last visit to Jeddah, stated that “the U.S. is dedicated to ensuring the security of Saudi Arabia,” expressing concern over possible attacks on the Saudi border region.

Furthermore, members of the Security Council denounced Houthis’ attack on the UAE ship on the 1st of October. They declared in a statement that the Council takes the threats to shipping seriously and stressed the importance of respecting the freedom of navigation in Bab al-Mandeb.

The UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation said that the ship targeted by Houthi-Saleh militias was dedicated for humanitarian missions and had not conducted any military missions in Yemen.

The attack on a UAE civilian ship will have serious repercussions on the freedom of navigation in the area, the ministry said.

“In the past months, the civilian ship has carried thousands of tons of humanitarian assistance and more than 1,000 wounded people, along with their companions, in addition to large equipment for the electricity, water and health care sectors which had significantly eased the suffering of Yemeni people through the restoration of the infrastructure in these vital sectors,” the ministry added.