The United States halted a shipment of weapons from Iran heading for Yemen, Secretary of State John Kerry said, as he accused Tehran of continuing its support of anti-government rebels.

The Saudi press Agency reported that Mr Kerry told US lawmakers: “We have stopped a shipment of weapons coming from Iran to Yemen, which is evidence of the continuation of Iran’s support for some groups.”

Mr Kerry faced questions from both the Senate foreign relations committee on Tuesday, and the House foreign affairs committee on Thursday on the State Department budget, including testimony on the recently implemented nuclear deal between Iran and world powers.

A spokesman for the Saudi-led coalition fighting to restore the internationally recognised Yemeni president, Abdrabu Mansur Hadi, to power also said its ships had intercepted a ship last week carrying relief and food supplies, including high-tech communications devices.

He said the ship from Iran was on its way to resupply the Houthis, according to SPA.

The fresh claims came as a coalition air raid north-east of the rebel-held Yemeni capital Sanaa killed at least 30, witnesses said.

The air raid targeted three rebel vehicles as they entered a market in the town of Naqil bin Ghaylan, killing at least 30 Houthi insurgents and civilians, one tribal source in the area told AFP news agency.

The area is part of the Nihm region, where coalition-backed loyalists have been advancing against the rebels as they try to close in on Sanaa.

The coalition, in which the UAE plays a crucial role, launched an air campaign in late March 2015 against the Iran-backed rebels and their allies, including troops loyal to the former president Ali Abdullah Saleh.

The Iran-backed Shiite rebels have controlled Sanaa since September 2014 and had placed Mr Hadi under house arrest.

But he escaped, initially seeking refuge in second city Aden last year before fleeing to the Saudi capital, Riyadh, as the rebels advanced on the southern port.

Mr Hadi returned to Aden after loyalists backed by UAE troops drove the rebels out of there and four other southern provinces in the summer.

Mr Hadi’s government accused this week Lebanon’s Hizbollah of sending fighters to support the Houthis, saying it had evidence of the Shiite militia’s involvement.

* With additional reporting from Agence France-Presse