Iran deems the presence of foreign forces in the region as a threat, the Iranian defense minister says.

A senior Iranian commander says the country’s navy will protect the cargo ship that is carrying humanitarian aid to Yemen. Admiral Hossein Azad said the 34th naval group is present in the Gulf of Aden and Bab al-Mandab strait and has been tasked with protecting the humanitarian aid ship. He said that the 34th naval group has started its mission to show Iran’s might at seas. The naval group includes the Alborz destroyer and the Bushehr logistic ship which are on a 90-day mission. Meanwhile, the Pentagon said the ship should change course and head to Djibouti where the United Nations is overseeing humanitarian deliveries. The Iranian ship which left for Yemen on Monday, is due to arrive in the war-torn country in a matter of ten days. It is carrying medical supplies and food and is now sailing on the sea of Oman.

US President Barack Obama has called on Iran to help find a political solution for the crisis in Yemen, amid ongoing Saudi aggression against the Arab country.

Iran’s naval forces thwart a pirate attack on an Iranian oil tanker in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.