Arabian Peninsula / Persian Gulf update 6/12/2017...Ayat. Khamenei says US created Daesh

Saudi warplanes strike civilian targets in Yemen, kill several

Saudi-Led Forces’ Positions Come Under Yemen’s Missile, Artillery Attacks

http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13960322001356

The Yemeni army and popular forces’ missile and artillery units hit hard the Saudi military positions in Najran and Assir provinces. The Saudi-led forces’ military positions in Najran and Assir provinces came under heavy fire of artillery units. “The concentration of the Saudi-led forces in al-Sadis and Nahiqeh military bases in Western al-Fawaz, al-Makhrouq, al-Zabe and al-Taleh in Najran were hit hard,” the Arabic-language al-Masira TV quoted an unnamed military source as saying. He noted that the Yemeni army and popular forces also pounded the Saudi-led military forces’ military positions in al-Sheibani peak and Alab border passage.

In a relevant development on Sunday, a military source confirmed that over 170 Saudi mercenaries have been killed or wounded in clashes with the Yemeni Army troops and National Committees. The source reported that the army soldiers and the fighters of the National Committees engaged in fierce clashes with the Saudi mercenaries in the 9th region and managed to repel their attack, killing and wounding 174 of them. Earlier reports said that Yemeni army soldiers, backed by allied Popular Committees, launched fresh attacks against positions held by Saudi mercenaries in several provinces across the conflict-ridden country.

The Yemeni forces had hit militants’ positions in Fatim Mountain and nearby areas in Sana’a Province and caused heavy damages, Al Masirah reported. Mercenaries also came under mortar and rocket attacks in the Sirwah district of Ma’rib Province and Khabb and Sha’af neighborhood of Jawf Province. The Yemeni forces further thwarted an attempt by the militants to advance on the Mukha district of Ta’iz Province, killing and injuring a number of them.

Houthi counterattack in Taiz leaves a dozen pro-Saudi fighters dead

https://www.almasdarnews.com/article/graphic-18-houthi-counterattack-taiz-leaves-dozen-pro-saudi-fighters-dead/

Yemeni Ansar Allah movement (best known as Houthis) conducted a counterattack against pro-Saudi forces in Al-Salou district of Taiz province on Monday. Two days ago militants of the armed groups loyal to ousted president Hadi (Saudi protégé) managed to advance in the area capturing a number of sites. Monday’s Houthi counterattack, however, proved successful as the militiamen had recaptured all the points killing and injuring more than 20 enemy soldiers in the process.

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Ayat. Khamenei: US created Daesh

Iran’s Khamenei blames U.S. for regional instability, creation of Islamic State

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Monday blamed the United States for instability in the Middle East and said Washington’s fight against the Islamic State militant group was “a lie”.

“You (the United States) and your agents are the source of instability in the Middle East…who created Islamic State? America … America’s claim of fighting against Islamic State is a lie,” Khamenei said in a meeting with high-ranking Iranian officials, according to his official website.

Iran and the United States cut diplomatic ties shortly after Iran’s 1979 Islamic revolution and enmity to Washington has long been a rallying point for hardline supporters of Khamenei in Iran.

Khamenei has made several statements denouncing the United States since the start of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, while U.S. President Donald Trump has spoken out against Iran in harsh terms since taking office, indicating that he will reverse the previous administration’s attempts at rapprochement with Tehran.

The Iranian leader has accused the United States and its regional ally Saudi Arabia of funding hardline Sunni militants, including Islamic State, which carried out its first attack in Iran on Wednesday in Tehran, killing 17 people.