Tehran Offers to Broker Yemen Talks in Call With Riyadh

Tehran (GNP): Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan and his Iranian counterpart Abbas Araghchi spoke by telephone on Sunday, as both countries looked for ways to calm tensions after a series of Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia.

The Saudi Foreign Ministry said the conversation covered recent regional developments and ongoing diplomatic efforts to deal with the worsening security situation.

Araghchi started the call. It is the first publicly reported contact between the two ministers since the latest wave of attacks on the kingdom intensified.

The timing is significant. The attacks on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh over the weekend caused civilian casualties and widespread disruption, which has raised concerns about civilian security, air travel and further military escalation between Saudi-led forces and the Houthi movement.

According to Araghchi’s account, he told his Saudi counterpart that Iran is willing to help facilitate dialogue between Saudi Arabia and the Houthis. He stressed the importance of political solutions and warned that continued reliance on military measures could make the region’s security problems harder to solve.

The Saudi statement, however, made no mention of the mediation proposal. It also did not say whether Riyadh had accepted Tehran’s offer, and no formal mediation process has been announced.

Riyadh’s current position is firmer. The Saudi-led coalition has accused the Houthis of carrying out the strikes and has pledged to respond, while it continues to back Yemen’s internationally recognised government in its military operations.

For Saudi Arabia, the immediate priority remains protecting its territory and civilian population while managing the fallout from the Yemen conflict.

The renewed fighting has already raised wider concerns, particularly about the safety of Saudi Arabia’s civilian infrastructure and regional security.

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Against that backdrop, the call shows why keeping channels open matters. Saudi Arabia and Iran restored diplomatic relations in 2023 under a China-brokered agreement, which ended years of strained ties and opened the way for dialogue.

Pressure on that relationship has grown since. The renewed confrontation in Yemen and the wider conflict involving Iran and the United States have added strain to regional stability.

Tehran’s offer could still open another route for diplomacy, even though the two sides continue to differ over regional security.

What follows depends on the parties themselves. Further negotiations will hinge on their willingness to pursue de-escalation alongside ongoing security operations.