Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani said the attempted attack was a response to Saudi aggression | Alba Vigaray/EPA White House blames Iran for missile attack on Saudis The Iranian government has denied responsibility for the missile launch.

The White House on Wednesday condemned attempted missile attacks launched against Saudi Arabia by Yemeni rebels, blaming the Iranian government for arming the rebels with such weapons systems.

“We condemn the Iranian regime's activities and stand with Saudi Arabia and all our Gulf partners against the Iranian regime's aggression and blatant violations of international law,” the White House said in a statement released early Wednesday morning. “These missile systems were not present in Yemen before the conflict, and we call upon the United Nations to conduct a thorough examination of evidence that the Iranian regime is perpetuating the war in Yemen to advance its regional ambitions.”

Saudi air defenses shot down a ballistic missile fired from Yemen on Saturday, according to a Reuters report, bringing down the missile near Riyadh’s King Khaled airport. The missile was believed to have been launched by Houthi militias in Yemen, where the Saudi military has conducted airstrikes against the rebel group.

The Iranian government has denied responsibility for the missile launch, Reuters reported, and Iran’s president, Hassan Rouhani, said the attempted attack was a response to Saudi aggression.

In its statement, the White House said Iran was in violation of United Nations Security Council resolutions that ban the transfer of arms to the Houthi rebels.

“Houthi missile attacks against Saudi Arabia, enabled by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, threaten regional security and undermine UN efforts to negotiate an end to the conflict. The United States seeks a negotiated settlement to the conflict and the provision of humanitarian assistance to the Yemeni people,” the White House said. “The United States will continue working with other like-minded partners to respond to these attacks and expose the Iranian regime's destabilizing activities in the region.”