The regional rivalry between Iran and Saudi Arabia has pitted the two countries against one another in Lebanon, Syria and Iraq. But it is Yemen that has caused the two countries to escalate their war of words to unprecedented levels. When Saudi Arabia and its coalition of Arab countries began bombing Yemen in late March, they claimed they were targeting Houthi militias, which they accused of being supported by Iran. Checking Iran’s expansionist aims was one of the key talking points by the Saudi-led coalition.
However, Iranian officials and media have answered back. After Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's criticism of the Saudi bombing April 9, other Iranian officials have joined in. Comments by military officials have been some of the harshest.