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Iran on Friday lambasted strikes in Yemen by US and British forces, saying that the attacks against Tehran-backed Houthi rebels were "arbitrary" and a "violation" of international law, AFP reported.

The overnight strikes followed weeks of missile and drone attacks by Houthi forces on vessels in the Red Sea, claiming to act in solidarity with Palestinians in the war-ravaged Gaza Strip.

Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Nasser Kanani said in a statement that Tehran "strongly condemned the military attacks of the United States and the United Kingdom this morning on several Yemeni cities".

He said the strikes were "an arbitrary action, a clear violation of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Yemen, and a violation of international laws and regulations."

The United States and its allies said in a joint statement following the air strikes on Houthi targets that their goal "remains to de-escalate tensions and restore stability in the Red Sea".

The attacks by the Huthis have disrupted traffic through the vital maritime route, with some companies suspending passage through the area.

Kanani warned that the attacks "will have no result other than fuelling insecurity and instability in the region" as well as "diverting the world's attention from the crimes" in Gaza, where Israel has been fighting the Palestinian territory's Hamas rulers.

The Iranian spokesman urged the international community to take action "to prevent the spread of war".