The foreign ministers of Iran and Saudi Arabia have held telephone talks over escalating tensions and growing insecurity across the region.
The call took place as renewed fighting in Yemen brings the two regional powers, which support opposing sides in the conflict, into sharper confrontation.
Ministers call for diplomatic efforts
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi spoke with his Saudi counterpart, Faisal bin Farhan, on Thursday evening about “the escalation of tensions and growing insecurity in the region”, according to Iran’s Foreign Ministry.
The two ministers stressed the need to continue cooperation and diplomatic efforts to prevent tensions from spreading and restore stability.
Although Yemen was not specifically mentioned in the ministry’s announcement about the call, a separate Iranian statement on the fighting said the crisis “cannot be resolved through military intervention”.
Opposing sides in Yemen
Tehran provides military and financial support to the Houthis, who have controlled large parts of northern Yemen for years. On Thursday, the group captured the strategically important Red Sea port city of Mocha.
Riyadh has long backed Yemen’s internationally recognised government and has carried out air strikes against the Houthis since the group began its latest advance, according to the Houthis.
Saudi Arabia and Iran have also confronted each other during the wider conflict in the Middle East. Tehran has launched attacks against Saudi oil infrastructure and sites linked to the United States in the Gulf kingdom.
Houthi advance towards Bab al-Mandab
The Houthis have controlled Yemen’s capital, Sanaa, and the major port city of Hodeidah for years. In recent days, however, they have launched a new offensive towards the strategic Bab al-Mandab Strait, the gateway to the Red Sea.
The maritime route connects Asia and Europe through the Suez Canal. Its importance has increased since the start of the wider Middle East war, during which Iran blocked the Strait of Hormuz.
Using drones and missiles, the Houthis have disrupted shipping in the Red Sea and attempted to impose a naval blockade on Saudi ports. They have also struck oil infrastructure in the kingdom.
Yemen returns to war
Yemen descended into war again in July after several years of relative calm marked by sporadic violence and worsening poverty.
On Wednesday, the Saudi-led coalition fighting the Houthis said the group had launched ballistic missiles and drones at several cities in southern Saudi Arabia.
Source: CNA
