Iranian official says UN will inspect Yemen-bound Iranian aid ship in Djibouti

TEHRAN, Iran – Iran's deputy foreign minister says an Iranian aid ship will be first inspected by the United Nations in Djibouti, before it's allowed to proceed to Yemen's shores.

Hossein Amir Abdollahian told the semi-official ISNA news agency on Wednesday that the vessel Nejat, or Rescue, will travel to Yemen in "full coordination with the U.N."

The remarks come as an effort to deescalate the situation surrounding the ship, which was expected to arrive in Yemen's Hodeida port on Thursday but has instead been rerouted to the Horn of Africa nation where the U.N. has set up a humanitarian staging hub for Yemen.

Abdollahian says Iran abide by the U.N. protocol, which requires aid to be routed through Djibouti.

Iran has backed Yemen's Shiite rebels in the conflict but denies arming them.