The UAE on Tuesday hit back at recent reports suggesting it is involved in preparations for a potential land offensive in Yemen to push the Iran-backed Houthis out of the capital.

“Among all the wild unsubstantiated stories going around, that one surely wins the misleading-news-of-the-week award, by a wide margin,” UAE Assistant Minister for Political Affairs Lana Nusseibeh said in a statement provided to Al Arabiya English.

Recent reports from CNN, Wall Street Journal and Bloomberg citing officials familiar with negotiations, have said that talks are underway for Yemeni forces to take back control of Sanaa, the Port of Hodeidah and northern parts of the country.

The US military launched an intensified bombing campaign on March 15 after President Donald Trump directed a more aggressive approach to pressure the militant group to cease their attacks on ships in the Red Sea. For 32 consecutive days, the US has targeted the Houthis, resulting in the deaths of senior officials within the group and the destruction of weapons manufacturing facilities and underground sites, according to military officials.