Amid a PR push challenging the US and Saudi Arabia over Yemen, Iran used high-profile meetings with Iraqi President Fuad Masum on Wednesday to make a further move.
On the second day of Masum�s visit, the Supreme Leader�received him to declare, �The current relationship�is unprecedented as compared with previous years and this trend shows the wisdom of the Iraqi brethren and it should keep on continuing like before.�
Ayatollah Khamenei then made an unsubtle play for Iraqi backing of Iran�s manoeuvres over crises such as Yemen and Syria: �Iraq�s position certainly can be influential on regional issues and this capacity must be used more and more.�
The Supreme Leader returned to Tehran�s focus on Yemen, following declarations on Tuesday that the Islamic Republic will send aid by cargo ship and plane to the country and challenge a Saudi-US blockade.
See�Iran Daily, May 13: Will Tehran Challenge US and Saudi Arabia With War Over �Aid� to Yemen?
The Saudis and Americans claim that Iran is sending weapons and other military supplies to the Ansar Allah (Houthi) movement, which took control of Yemen�s capital Sana�a in February and then advanced on the south of the country, including the port of Aden where President Abdrabuh Mansour Hadi tried to set up an alternative Government.
A Saudi-led coalition began bombing in late March to check the advance. This week, a 5-day ceasefire was agreed to allow humanitarian aid to reach Yemenis.
The Supreme Leader said on Wednesday:
The Saudis committed a big mistake in Yemen and the impacts of the crimes they have committed will certainly backfire on them.
They attacked Yemen based on a request by the fugitive and ousted Yemeni President�who committed treason against his country under the most volatile conditions.
Khamenei also commented on the situation in Syria, where Iran�s ally Bashar al-Assad is in increasing difficulty amid rebel advances and economic crisis:
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In a very hazardous plot, enemies of #Islam are seeking to create perpetual chaos in #Syria so that they can make whole region insecure.
10:34 PM - 13 May 2015
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Certain Arab countries' plot for #Syria is utterly destructive. Their plot will ruin not only Syria but also their own countries.
10:40 PM - 13 May 2015
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Terrorist groups in #Syria under various names work to the benefit of #Israel& those who seek instability in region to impose their own will
10:49 PM - 13 May 2015
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