TEHRAN, July 25 (Alliance News): Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Saturday said there was “no military solution” to the escalating conflict in Yemen, urging dialogue and diplomacy after renewed hostilities between Saudi Arabia and the Tehran-backed Houthi movement heightened tensions in the region.
In an interview published by the state-run Iran Daily newspaper, Araghchi said lasting peace in Yemen and the strategically important Bab al-Mandab Strait could only be achieved through political dialogue rather than military action.
“We believe there is no military solution to the issue of Yemen, Bab al-Mandab and other regional issues,” he said, stressing the need for negotiations to address the crisis.
The Iranian foreign minister rejected claims that Tehran was responsible for the latest developments in Yemen, saying the conflict stemmed from longstanding disputes involving Yemen, Saudi Arabia and other regional countries.
“The situation in Yemen cannot be attributed to Iran,” Araghchi said, adding that the incidents around the Bab al-Mandab Strait were rooted in historical regional tensions.
The remarks come amid renewed fighting between Saudi Arabia and the Houthi rebels, ending a period of relative calm that had largely followed the United Nations-brokered truce of 2022.
Earlier this month, the Houthis announced a blockade of Saudi ports and claimed responsibility for attacks on commercial tankers, raising concerns over the security of one of the world’s busiest maritime trade routes.
The blockade has increased pressure on Saudi Arabia’s energy exports, particularly after Iran’s parallel restrictions in the Strait of Hormuz, another critical global shipping corridor.
On Friday, a Houthi spokesperson said the group’s maritime blockade was directed only at Saudi-linked shipping and insisted that commercial navigation through the Bab al-Mandab Strait remained open for other vessels.
The latest developments have intensified international concerns over regional security, global energy supplies and maritime trade, with several countries continuing to call for restraint and a diplomatic resolution to the conflict.
