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Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi offered on late Sunday to help start dialogue between Saudi Arabia and Yemen, warning his Saudi counterpart that relying on military action would only further complicate the region's crises.
"The Islamic Republic of Iran is ready to provide any assistance to help begin dialogue between Saudi Arabia and Yemen and to assist in reaching a political solution," Araghchi said during a phone call with Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan, according to his Telegram account and the official IRNA news agency.
It was the first publicly reported contact between the two ministers since the Iran-aligned Houthis intensified strikes on Saudi Arabia, with 10 attacks on five Saudi airports killing 20 people between Oct. 5 and 11, according to Türkiye's state-run Anadolu Agency (AA).
Expressing concern over escalating tensions, Araghchi said "insisting on a military approach and disregarding a political solution will further complicate the current situation," and stressed that the region’s crises have no military solution.
The Saudi Foreign Ministry said the call, initiated by Araghchi, focused on "the recent escalation in the region and the efforts being made to address it," without giving further details.
A new attack on Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport on Sunday killed a Pakistani resident and injured 11 people, Saudi Arabia's General Authority of Civil Aviation said.
An unidentified projectile struck Terminal 4 and caused a fire, and air defenses destroyed a cruise missile near the airport, coalition spokesman Turki al-Maliki said.
The authority also reported an attack on King Fahd International Airport in Dammam, without giving details on casualties.
The death toll from Saturday’s attack on the Riyadh airport rose to 13 after an injured Indian national died, the Indian Embassy said.
The Saudi-led coalition blamed the Houthis and vowed a firm response.
The Houthis renewed warnings to airlines and passengers to avoid Saudi airports, except those in Mecca and Medina.
Etihad Airways canceled selected flights to Riyadh, Dammam and Jeddah through Oct. 13, and SriLankan Airlines suspended Riyadh flights until Oct. 18. Riyadh schools switched to remote learning for the week.
The U.S., Britain, Australia and France issued travel warnings, and the European Union Aviation Safety Agency advised airlines to avoid parts of Saudi airspace, as Tehran presses its mediation offer.
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