Iran Offers to Mediate Talks Between Saudi Arabia and Yemen's Houthis

Iran has offered to mediate talks between Saudi Arabia and Yemen's Houthi group after a series of deadly attacks on the kingdom, raising questions about Tehran's diplomatic intentions amid escalating fighting across the region.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi spoke by phone with his Saudi counterpart, Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud, on Sunday — the first publicly disclosed contact since the Iran-backed Houthis stepped up attacks on Saudi Arabia.

The diplomatic move follows airstrikes on Riyadh's international airport over the weekend that killed 14 people and wounded hundreds, while Saudi-backed forces press on with an offensive against the Houthis, also known as Ansar Allah, in Yemen.

The talks come amid the wider war between the United States and Israel on one side and Iran on the other, with Tehran potentially seeking to avoid being drawn into a new confrontation.

"Tehran is an ally of Ansar Allah and has influence over the movement, though it does not control their decisions," Negar Mortazavi, a senior fellow at the Washington, DC-based Center for International Policy, told Al Jazeera.

"By offering to mediate talks with Riyadh, Iran is positioning itself as an indispensable party to a broader regional settlement."

So what has been exchanged between Riyadh and Tehran, and why is Iran offering to mediate?

What have Iran and Saudi Arabia discussed?

According to the Saudi state news agency, the two foreign ministers discussed the recent regional escalation and efforts to de-escalate. Iran's Foreign Ministry also confirmed the exchange.

After the discussions, Araghchi warned on Sunday against pursuing a military solution to the conflict, while offering Tehran's support for advancing dialogue between Saudi Arabia and Yemen.

"Insisting on a military approach and downplaying a political solution will only complicate the situation further," Araghchi said, according to Iran's Foreign Ministry.

On Monday, ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei reiterated Tehran's readiness to mediate, saying Iran was deeply concerned by developments on the Arabian Peninsula.

"We absolutely do not want hostility and war to continue between two Muslim nations," Baghaei said, calling for dialogue to resolve the conflict.

What is Iran's position on the war in Yemen?

Iran has repeatedly called for a diplomatic solution to the Yemen conflict and says it supports a political settlement over continued military action.

Tehran backs the Houthis, who control Yemen's capital Sanaa and several other parts of the country.

The armed group is part of the Iran-led "axis of resistance," which also includes Lebanon's Hezbollah and armed groups in Iraq.

Saudi Arabia, meanwhile, has led a military coalition supporting Yemen's internationally recognised government since 2015.

Baghaei said on Monday that the conflict serves Israel's interests, arguing that a negotiated settlement is a better option than continued fighting.

What is the latest in the fighting in Yemen?

Fighting has escalated in Yemen since forces of the internationally recognised government announced Operation Yemen Dawn on 4 October aimed at reversing recent Houthi territorial gains, including the capital Sanaa.

Government forces, backed by Riyadh, have reported advances near the strategic Bab al-Mandeb strait, a key international shipping lane. However, conflicting battlefield claims remain difficult to verify independently.

The Houthis have responded with missile and drone attacks on Saudi airports, energy infrastructure and other targets.

Two attacks on Riyadh's King Khalid International Airport on Saturday and Sunday killed 14 people and wounded more than 300. The victims included foreign nationals from Bangladesh, Pakistan and Palestine.

The escalating violence has also disrupted commercial flights, business activity and schools in Riyadh, underscoring the conflict's growing economic and civilian toll.

UN special envoy for Yemen Hans Grundberg warned on Friday that Yemen had returned to "all-out war," with civilians bearing the brunt.

Why is Iran willing to mediate between Saudi Arabia and the Houthis?

Iran's offer to mediate between Riyadh and the Houthis may be an attempt to strengthen Tehran's diplomatic standing and secure a broader regional deal that goes beyond Yemen.

"I think Iran is trying to turn Yemen from a military burden into a diplomatic asset," Andreas Krieg, a Middle East security analyst at King's College London, told Al Jazeera.

He said Tehran recognised that Saudi Arabia was struggling to reverse Houthi territorial gains, particularly around Taiz and Bab al-Mandeb, despite intensifying its military campaign.

"Araghchi's offer is an effort to position Iran as part of the solution to a crisis that they themselves have helped sustain," Krieg said.

Mortazavi, meanwhile, said Iran's diplomatic push was part of a broader effort to link the conflicts unfolding across the region.

"The bigger political objective is an informal non-aggression pact between Iran and its allies on one side, and the US and regional partners on the other," she said.

According to her, such a deal would require an end to hostilities on multiple fronts, including Yemen and Lebanon, rather than a settlement confined to the US-Iran conflict.

Moreover, Krieg argued the discussions also have an important "Saudi dimension."

"Riyadh is increasingly uncomfortable with its dependence on Washington, frustrated by America's limited willingness to intervene in Yemen and unwilling to become dependent on the UAE again," he said.

"Iran sees an opportunity to demonstrate that engaging Tehran can deliver what Saudi Arabia's traditional security partnerships have struggled to provide."

Analysts also pointed to economic calculations. Iran is under significant pressure from US sanctions, while Gulf states are gradually restoring energy exports to pre-war levels despite disruptions from Iran.

"Offering Riyadh a way out of Yemen could give Iran leverage far beyond the Yemeni battlefield, particularly in talks over Hormuz, sanctions relief and the broader regional security architecture," Krieg said.

However, Krieg cautioned against overstating Iran's influence over the Houthis, who have their own ambitions and political demands.

"Ansar Allah is not simply an Iranian proxy waiting for instructions," Krieg said. "Their leadership has its own political ambitions, increasingly sees itself as a regional military actor and believes recent territorial gains have strengthened their negotiating position. Iran can encourage talks and potentially influence the level of escalation, but it cannot simply order the Houthis to give up their gains around Mocha or Bab al-Mandeb."

According to Mortazavi, the broader message is that regional security cannot be addressed in isolation.

"Ultimately, Tehran's message is that regional security cannot be compartmentalised," she said. "Saudi Arabia cannot be secure while under attack, at a time when Iran and its allies remain under military and economic pressure."