Sana'a - Yemen on Sunday refused for a second time to receive the Iran's Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki, amid growing tensions between the two countries, according to a media report. Al Arabiya TV reported on its website that the refusal came against a backdrop of accusation against Tehran that it is aiding Shiite rebels.
Mottaki reportedly wants to visit Yemen to help mediate between the government and the rebels.
Officials in Yemen and Saudi Arabia have been accusing Iran of supporting the Houthi group.
The protracted and bloody battle between Sana'a and the Houthi has threatened to destabilize the poor gulf country and has displaced tens of thousands of people.
President Ali Abdullah Salah is a Shiite, as are some other members of his government, though the group is a minority in Yemen.
Iranian legislators, alleging sectarianism, have lashed out in recent weeks against Riyadh, which sent troops to pound rebel positions after they crossed the border into Saudi Arabia.
A week ago, protesters in front of the Iranian embassy in Sana'a called for the expulsion of Tehran's envoy.
Iran is a largely Shiite country and has seen tension with the highly influential Saudi Arabia, which adheres to strict Sunni Islam, though a sizable minority follow the other branch of the faith.
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