Yemen’s foreign minister has called for an “immediate” Arab military intervention against advancing Shiite rebels.

Riad Yassin told the Dubai-based Al-Arabiya satellite news network on Wednesday that Yemen had asked Arab countries – especially oil-rich Gulf Sunni countries – to send air and naval forces to counter Shiite rebels known as Houthis.

Yassin accused the Houthis of paving the way for an Iranian takeover of Yemen. The rebels deny having links to the Shiite powerhouse.

The remarks came hours after Yemen’s embattled president fled his palace in Aden for an undisclosed location as Shiite rebels offered cash bounty for his capture and arrested his defense minister. SAPA