Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Saturday that there is no military solution to the escalating conflict between Saudi Arabia and the Houthi rebels in Yemen, who are backed by Tehran, following a recent exchange of attacks between the two sides.
"We believe there is no military solution to the issues of Yemen, Bab al-Mandab and other regional matters," Araghchi said in an interview published on Saturday by the state-run newspaper Iran Daily, calling instead for "dialogue."
He argued that the situation in Yemen "cannot be attributed to Iran" and said incidents taking place in the Bab al-Mandab Strait stem from long-standing disputes and issues involving Yemen, Saudi Arabia and other countries in the region.
The renewed conflict between the Houthis and Saudi Arabia, which had largely remained frozen following the UN-brokered ceasefire of 2022, resurfaced this month after the Tehran-backed rebels declared a blockade of Saudi ports and claimed responsibility for attacks on oil tankers.
The blockade threatens Saudi Arabia's ability to move goods to global markets, following Iran's parallel closure of the Strait of Hormuz, the kingdom's only other maritime route.
On Friday, a Houthi spokesperson said the rebels were not obstructing navigation through the Bab al-Mandab Strait and insisted that the maritime blockade "affects only the Saudi side."
Source: CNA
