Will Iran intervene in the Saudi-Houthi conflict? “We are in talks with Saudi Arabia.”

As fighting between Saudi Arabia and Yemen's pro-Iran rebels Houthi intensifies, Iran announced that it is holding talks with Saudi Arabia with the goal of establishing a new regional security system without foreign intervention.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Aragchi released part of the Al Jazeera interview on social media X on the 3rd (local time).

Minister Araghchi explained, “We have made it clear that we have no hostility toward the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries,” adding, “We highly value the positive roles shown by Qatar and Oman, and we are continuing dialogue with Saudi Arabia.”

He continued, “Our goal is to establish a new regional security system led by regional countries, without any foreign military intervention (station).”

As armed conflict continues between Saudi Arabia and Houthi rebels, high-ranking officials from the three countries that recently signed the 'Mecca Defense Agreement', including Saudi Arabia, Turkiye, and Pakistan, visited Tehran and met with their Iranian counterparts.

This is the first high-level contact between Iran and these three countries since last August.

Saudi Arabia explained that the visit was aimed at opening a window for negotiations to prevent a recurrence of military tensions as the battle with Houthi rebels has recently intensified.

The war between the United States and Israel against Iran, which broke out in late February, has spread to Saudi Arabia and Yemen since July.

The Houthis, a powerful armed force, are accelerating their attacks targeting Saudi Arabia as they advance into the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a strategic maritime point in the Red Sea.

The Houthis attacked Saudi oil facilities and international airports in major cities, including the capital Riyadh, disrupting flight operations and oil exports, and Saudi Arabia responded by carrying out retaliatory airstrikes against Yemen.

Yemen, the poorest country on the Arabian Peninsula, has been mired in a long civil war since the Houthi rebels ousted the internationally recognized Saudi-backed government from the capital Sanaa in 2014.