Istanbul, July 26 (dpa/GNA) – Iranian Foreign Minister, Abbas Araghchi, called for dialogue on Saturday following the escalation between Saudi Arabia and the Tehran-backed Houthi militia in Yemen.
There is no military solution to the conflict, Araghchi said in an interview with the state-run daily newspaper Iran. Rather, he said, it must be resolved through dialogue between Saudi Arabia, Yemen and other countries in the region.
Although Iran supports the Houthi militia, Araghchi claimed that the problems in Yemen were not his country’s fault, but were rooted in long-standing regional conflicts. The mutual attacks between the Houthi militia and Saudi Arabia are fuelling fears of a further escalation of the conflict in the Middle East, which has gripped the region since the start of the US-Israeli attacks on Iran in February.
The Houthis declared a “blockade” on shipping for Saudi Arabia earlier this week. On Thursday, they claimed responsibility for attacks on two Saudi oil tankers. On Friday, there was also an attack on a ship flying the Saudi flag.
The sea route from Asia via the Suez Canal to Europe passes through the Red Sea and the vital Bab al-Mandab Strait off the coast of Yemen.
The Houthis had already severely disrupted global trade with attacks on ships in the Red Sea from 2023 onwards. The militia primarily controls the north and large areas in the west of the country, including the Red Sea coastline there.
GNA