[caption id="attachment_70962" align="alignright" width="203"] An Iranian airline Mahan Air plane at Tehran's Mehrabad airport, September 19, 2011. REUTERS/Morteza Nikoubazl[/caption]

An Iranian flight has landed in Yemen's capital, Sanaa, a day after officials from the Shi'ite-militia-controlled city signed an aviation agreement with Tehran.

An aviation official in Yemen told AFP the Iran Mahan Air flight arrived on March 1 with a medical aid team from the Iranian Red Crescent.

Senior Iranian diplomats were at the airport in Sanaa to welcome the flight, which was the first between the two countries in many years.

Yemen's official Saba news agency, which is now controlled by the Shi'ite militia fighters who overran Sanaa in September, said that the deal with Iran Mahan and Yemenia would lead to 14 flights each week.

Tehran denies Western accusations that it has backed the Huthi militia.

Yemen's President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi stepped down from power under pressure from the Huthi militia in January and was placed under effective house arrest.

He escaped a week ago to the main southern city of Aden.

By Radio Free Europe/ Radio Liberty