When trying to install a package or update the system, "yum" fails with "Error: Invalid version flag: {if,or}'" message

Issue

• When installing a package using yum install command or executing yum update command, yum fails with the following error message

  # yum -y update
  [...]
  Running transaction
  
  Invalid version flag: if
  

  or

  # yum -y update
  [...]
  Running transaction
  
  Invalid version flag: or