Iranupdated 1h ago2 min read
Abbas Araghchi Urges Saudi Arabia Diplomacy After Houthis Attack Riyadh Airport
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Iran urges diplomacy and offers to mediate Saudi–Yemen talks after Houthi attacks on Riyadh airport Abbas Araghchi spoke with Saudi FM Faisal bin Farhan, discussing de-escalation and mediation via dialogue
26 outlets told this the same way.
Outlets did split on Mohsen Rezaei Says Iran Will Determine When Confrontation With America Ends →
Araghchi urges diplomacy
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi urged diplomacy in a phone call with Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud after Houthis, backed by Iran, attacked Saudi airports. Araghchi told Saudi Arabia’s counterpart that insisting on a military approach while disregarding political solutions would further complicate the situation, and he said the region’s crises have no military solutions. Araghchi also said Iran is ready to provide any assistance necessary to facilitate the start of dialogue between Saudi Arabia and Yemen and to help achieve a political solution.
The call came after an attack on the Riyadh airport that killed 12 people and wounded 300, and US President Donald Trump said he would reconsider the US role in Yemen while weighing resuming strikes on Iran. The two ministers’ exchange followed embassies restored under a 2023 Chinese-brokered agreement after a seven-year diplomatic rupture that had fuelled regional proxy conflicts.
Tehran offers mediation
Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharib Abadi said Iran is open to the diplomatic track while also prepared to defend itself and fight, as Tehran finalizes its response to American comments about the “Seven-Day Plan” proposal. Gharib Abadi said Iran is putting the finishing touches on its reply and will announce its final position through intermediaries once consultations are completed. Gharib Abadi accused Washington of violating its commitments under the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding while saying Tehran has not breached any of its commitments.
In parallel, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan that Tehran is prepared to support the Saudi-Yemeni dialogue path, according to Reuters and a post on his Telegram account. The same reporting tied the diplomatic push to the escalation after Houthis claimed responsibility for a strike on Riyadh’s international airport that killed 13 people and wounded more than 300 others.
Escalation and next steps
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said there is no military solution to the conflict between Saudi Arabia and the Iran-backed Houthi group in Yemen, and he urged resolution through dialogue between Saudi Arabia, Yemen, and other regional countries. Araghchi warned that the mutual attacks between the Houthis and Saudi Arabia have raised fears of a new escalation in the Middle East, and he pointed to the Houthis imposing a “siege” on shipping traffic linked to Saudi Arabia. Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said Tehran was “deeply concerned” about developments in the Arabian Peninsula and warned that the escalation “will only benefit the Israeli regime.”
The reporting tied the diplomatic overture to airport strikes, including a Saturday attack on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh that killed 13 people and wounded 309, and a subsequent strike on Sunday evening that killed one Pakistani national and wounded 11 others. Saudi Arabia vowed to respond to attacks on its territory and civilian infrastructure, while Iran said it was prepared to use “our good offices” to help facilitate dialogue between the parties.