Iran renews offer to mediate as Saudi-Yemen conflict escalates
Tehran: Iran has renewed its offer to help bring Saudi Arabia and Yemen back to the negotiating table, with Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi saying Tehran is prepared to provide “any assistance” needed to halt the fighting between the two sides.
Araghchi made the remarks during a meeting with Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty on the sidelines of the 52nd Session of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Council of Foreign Ministers in Baghdad. He said 12 years of tension and conflict had demonstrated that there was no military solution to the Yemen issue.
Reiterating Iran’s support for diplomacy, the foreign minister said Tehran remained committed to de-escalation and a responsible approach to regional peace. He had earlier made a similar offer during a phone conversation with his Saudi counterpart on October 11, saying Iran was ready to help initiate dialogue between Riyadh and Yemen.
Iran’s mediation offer comes amid a sharp escalation in hostilities between Saudi Arabia and Yemen’s Houthi rebels. Saudi air operations against Houthi-held areas have intensified, while the group has carried out repeated missile and drone attacks on targets inside Saudi Arabia, including airports and energy facilities.
The conflict widened further on Thursday after five missiles targeted the Al-Maashiq presidential palace in Aden, which houses the Saudi-backed Yemeni government. Yemeni officials said five people were killed and 16 injured in the attack, while the Houthis claimed they had targeted a Saudi military operations centre and weapons depot inside the complex.
Yemen’s Prime Minister and cabinet members escaped unhurt, officials said. Loud explosions were heard across Aden as smoke rose near the palace compound, with residents reporting that the blasts shook nearby houses.
The Houthis also renewed their warning to international airlines, declaring Saudi airspace and airports “unsafe”. In a statement on X, Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree said the warning excluded the airspace over the holy cities of Mecca and Medina.
Araghchi, addressing the OIC meeting, said Iran backed an inclusive and comprehensive political process as the only practical and sustainable way to resolve the conflict.
(Inputs from IANS)