Iranupdated 58m ago3 min read
Iran Rejects Role In Yemeni Operations, Offers To Mediate Between Saudi Arabia And The Houthis
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Iran denies involvement in Houthi attacks against Saudi Arabia. Iran offers to mediate between Riyadh and the Houthis to end escalation.
10 outlets told this the same way.
Outlets did split on Iran And Allied Forces Hit Gulf Arab Infrastructure At Least 135 Times, Including Fujairah Port →
Iran offers mediation
Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Ismail Baqi said Iran remains steadfast on the Yemeni issue and is ready to help resolve issues between Saudi Arabia and the Houthis peacefully. Baqi added that Iran is fully prepared to use its good offices to help end the conflicts and is ready to mobilize all its capabilities for that purpose if both sides request it. Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson also rejected any claim that Iran played a role in Yemeni operations, and said solving the Yemeni issue requires respecting sovereignty and territorial integrity and ending the air and naval blockade imposed on it.
Baqi stressed that foreign intervention, military approaches, and blockade are not solutions to the Yemeni problem, and he said the Yemeni people have suffered from the naval and air blockade imposed for more than a decade. Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson said it does not see escalating tensions as serving the interests of any party.
Saudi accusations denied
Saudi Deputy Foreign Minister for Public Diplomacy Raed Karmali accused Iran on Thursday of encouraging the Houthis’ escalation, saying Tehran continues to arm, train, and support the group in violation of United Nations Security Council resolutions and its obligations under the Beijing agreement. Iran denied those accusations, and Euronews reported that Ismail Bagheri said Iran rejects any claims of involvement in the military operations carried out by the Houthis. Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei said in a statement that "The Islamic Republic of Iran rejects any claim that Iran has played a role in Yemeni (Houthi) operations," while also saying Yemen’s armed forces act according to their own interests and assessments.
Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson added that "Nevertheless, Iran does not consider an escalation of tensions to be in the interests of any party," as the dispute continued. Iran’s offer to mediate remained on the table, with Baqaei reiterating that Tehran has always been ready to use its good offices to help end the hostilities.
Attacks and mediation standoff
The Saudi-led military coalition said on Friday it intercepted and destroyed three drones in the southern region and the Riyadh region, and it also intercepted and destroyed two cruise missiles over the Red Sea and a ballistic missile launched toward the city of Yanbu. The coalition spokesman Turki al-Maliki said in posts on the X platform that anti-missile defenses destroyed those drones and cruise missiles, while Saudi Civil Defense issued an early warning via the national platform for emergency alerts in Yanbu. In Yemen, the internationally recognized government’s interim capital Aden saw a Houthi missile attack on the presidential palace, the Mehr house, that killed five people and wounded 16 others, according to the Yemeni health minister.
Iran’s mediation offer continued to be discussed, and Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Saeed Khatibzadeh told Al Mayadeen that Tehran had offered Saudi Arabia mediation assistance but had "so far we have not received any positive response." Saudi Arabia said it had not requested Iranian mediation, and Yemen Monitor reported that Rayed Krimly said the Kingdom has not asked Iran to mediate with the Houthis, while Riyadh maintains direct communication channels and Oman’s role is limited to facilitating talks rather than mediating.