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Iran has said it is ready to help ease rising tensions between Saudi Arabia and the Houthis in Yemen. Tehran warned that continuing and escalating the conflict would serve only Israel’s interests in the region.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei made the remarks at a weekly news conference on Monday. Earlier, on Sunday evening, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi spoke by phone with Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan.
“Regarding the talks held last night, I can say that Iran’s consultations with countries in the region are continuing,” Baghaei said. He stressed that Tehran is seriously concerned about the situation on the Arabian Peninsula and is ready to help facilitate dialogue between the parties.
“We have repeatedly stated that we are ready to offer our good offices to help facilitate dialogue between the parties,” the spokesperson said. Iran does not want hostilities and war to continue between the two Muslim countries, he added.
Tehran calls for a political settlement
According to the Iranian Foreign Ministry, Araqchi expressed concern about escalating tensions during his conversation with the Saudi official. He said insisting on a military approach and disregarding a political solution would further complicate the situation.
Araqchi stressed that regional crises cannot be resolved by military means and said Iran was ready to help launch dialogue between Saudi Arabia and Yemen and achieve a political settlement.
Baghaei said the Yemen issue should have been resolved long ago through an agreement between the parties. Iran had supported the implementation of an agreed roadmap between Yemen and Saudi Arabia, he said, but the plan was not carried out.
The Iranian official also recalled a deadly strike on Sanaa airport in July. Baghaei said Iran had warned at the time that the attack could escalate tensions, and that such a situation was now unfolding. He called for the issue to be resolved through dialogue and contacts.
Iran and Saudi Arabia are among the region’s major powers, and their competing interests have affected prospects for cooperation. According to reports, Saudi Arabia has supported efforts to constrain Iran militarily and economically while maintaining diplomatic ties. Iran provides political support to the Houthis but denies giving them military assistance.
Media reports say the Houthis carried out several attacks on Saudi Arabia last week. According to those reports, a strike on Riyadh’s international airport on Saturday killed 13 people and injured more than 300. The attack was described as the deadliest in the kingdom in more than a decade, since the Saudi-led military intervention in Yemen began in 2015.
Baghaei said the Yemeni people have the right to live with dignity, free from pressure, sanctions and blockade. He said events over the past 10 to 12 years could be justified neither on Islamic grounds nor under international law.
Iran supports cooperation among Persian Gulf countries
Baghaei welcomed Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi’s planned visit to Saudi Arabia. In his view, expanding ties between Baghdad and Riyadh could help reduce tensions in the region.
The Iranian official said Tehran supports stronger cooperation among neighboring countries, including joint meetings of Persian Gulf states. Such a meeting, which would also include Iran and Iraq, had been proposed earlier, Baghaei said, adding that a similar meeting is believed to have taken place one or two years ago.
He also said other parties had not accepted a proposal for a similar meeting in Salalah, Oman. Baghaei described stronger relations and mutual trust among regional countries as essential to security, saying this would help reduce destructive interference by outside powers.
