Yemen President Abdrabbuh Mansour
Hadi has accused Iran of destabilising the country, calling Houthi
rebels the "stooges of Iran".
Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia says military intervention in Yemen will continue until the country is "stable and safe".
The move comes after a third night of airstrikes by a Saudi-led coalition hit cities across the country.
The conflict has been described by correspondents as a proxy war between Sunni Arab nations and Shia Iran.
President
Hadi was speaking at an Arab League summit in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt,
days after having to flee Yemen as rebels advanced on his stronghold of
Aden.
He plans to stay abroad until the situation settles, Yemeni Foreign Minister Riad Yassin said.
The
Saudi-led Operation Decisive Storm has the support of several Arab
League members. It was sparked by Wednesday's rebel advance towards Aden
- a push that air strikes have failed to stop.
Analysis: BBC's Orla Guerin in Sharm el-Sheikh
Iran
is the spectre hanging over this gathering of Arab leaders. When a
coalition of Sunni-led states began bombing Houthi rebels in Yemen three
days ago, this was a shot across the bow for Shia Iran.
The
intervention is an attempt to curb Iran's growing influence in the Arab
world, as well as to save the presidency of Abdrabbuh Mansour Hadi. Both
will be difficult tasks.
While other leaders at the summit made
veiled references to Tehran, President Hadi - who just days ago was in
hiding - was blunt. He described the Shia Houthi rebels who are trying
to topple him as "Iranian stooges".
Yemen is now the backdrop for a
larger conflict which already looks like a proxy war between Sunni
states - especially regional heavyweight Saudi Arabia - and Iran. What's
unclear is how far Arab leaders are prepared to take this conflict, or
how much it may escalate. While
leaders spoke at the summit, explosions rocked an arms depot in Aden
after it was looted by residents. A number of people have been reported
killed but it is not clear how many.
Saudi air strikes have also destroyed ballistic missiles captured by the Houthis close to the Saudi border, Gulf officials said.
The UN is pulling its staff out of the capital Sanaa, hours after the
Saudi navy evacuated dozens of its own and foreign diplomats from the
country.
The fighting risks "disastrous consequences" for the Yemeni people, the UN warned - it is already the poorest country in the Middle East, with over 60% of the population requiring aid.
With
no sign of an end to the current military campaign, the Yemeni
president said that military intervention must continue until the Houthi
rebels surrendered.
At the summit, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi called for the
creation of a joint Arab military force to deal with "unprecedented
threats" in the region.
Egypt has already pledged planes,
warships and troops to the coalition. President Sisi referred to
"foreign interference" in Yemen - a coded reference to Iran, according
to analysts.
On Friday night, Mr Yassin said there was an "arrangement" for ground troops of the Saudi-led coalition to deploy in Yemen.
Iran
is alleged to be supporting the Houthis. The rebels officially deny
this, but senior figures have been seen in the Iranian city of Qom and
there are unconfirmed reports of Iranian pilots flying Yemeni planes,
reports the BBC's security correspondent Frank Gardner.
Speaking
after President Hadi, United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon
called for negotiations to avoid "a long, drawn-out conflict".
The Houthis have said their aim is to replace Mr Hadi's government, which they accuse of being corrupt.
Rebel leader Abdul Malik al-Houthi has vowed not to surrender to what he called the "unjustified aggression".
Iran
has also criticised the Saudi intervention. "They have to stop,"
Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said on Friday.
Since the air campaign began, at least 61 civilians have been killed, Yemen health ministry officials say.
The Houthis: Zaidi Shia-led rebels from the north, who seized control of Sanaa last year and have since been expanding their control President Hadi: Fled to Saudi Arabia after rebel forces advanced on his stronghold in the southern city of Aden Ali Abdullah Saleh:
Despite being forced out to hand over power in 2011, the former Yemeni
president remains an influential figure. His supporters have been
fighting alongside the Houthis Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula: Seen by the US as the most dangerous offshoot of al-Qaeda, AQAP opposes both the Houthis and President Hadi Islamic State: A Yemeni affiliate of IS has recently emerged, which seeks to eclipse AQAP Failure 'not an option for Saudis' Yemen crisis: An Iranian-Saudi battleground? Yemen: Waiting for the war Meeting the Houthis - and their enemies The rise of Yemen's Houthi rebels
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