Iran-Saudi Talks on Yemen's Houthis: What Benefit for Tehran?

Tehran seeks dialogue over the Yemen conflict and warns that a military solution risks further complicating the region's already unstable situation.

Iran has offered to facilitate talks between Saudi Arabia and Yemen's Houthi group after a series of deadly attacks on the kingdom has raised questions about Tehran's diplomatic calculations as conflicts in the region escalate.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi held talks with his Saudi counterpart Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud on Sunday, in the first reported public call since Iran-aligned Houthis escalated attacks on Saudi Arabia.

List of 3 items List 1 of 3 The world condemned the deadly attack by the Houthis on Riyadh airport in Saudi Arabia

List 2 of 3 Fear and uncertainty for civilians as Yemeni capital comes under attack

List 3 of 3 Why do Houthi missiles pass through Saudi Arabia's air defense?

The end of the diplomatic tie-up comes after weekend attacks on Riyadh International Airport killed 14 people and wounded hundreds, as Saudi-backed forces continued their offensive against the Houthis, known as Ansarullah, in Yemen.

The talks are also taking place against the backdrop of a wider US-Israeli war against Iran, with Tehran likely seeking to avoid being drawn into another confrontation.

"Tehran is an ally of Ansarullah and has influence over the movement, although it has no control over its decisions," Negar Mortazavi, a senior expert at the Washington-based Center for International Policy, told Al Jazeera.

By offering to facilitate negotiations with Riyadh, Iran presents itself as an essential party to a broader regional settlement.

So what are the discussions going on between Riyadh and Tehran and why does Iran offer to facilitate the negotiations?

What did Iran and Saudi Arabia talk about?

According to Saudi ambassador Arjan, the foreign ministers of the two countries discussed the recent escalation of tensions in the region and efforts to reduce tensions. Iran's Foreign Ministry also confirmed this incident.

On Sunday, following these talks, Araghchi warned against pursuing a military solution to this conflict and offered Tehran's help to facilitate the dialogue between Saudi Arabia and Yemen.

Araghchi said: Insisting on a military approach and ignoring the political solution only complicates the situation.

Ismail Baqaei, the spokesman of this ministry, on Monday once again emphasized Tehran's willingness to mediate and said that Iran is deeply concerned about the developments in the Arabian Peninsula.

Emphasizing dialogue to resolve the conflict, Baqaei said: We absolutely do not want the hostility and war between the two Islamic countries to continue.

What is Iran's position regarding the war in Yemen?

Iran has repeatedly called for a diplomatic solution to the Yemen conflict and says it supports a political solution instead of military action.

Tehran supports the Houthis, who control Sana'a, Yemen's capital, and other parts of the country.

This armed group is part of the "Axis of Resistance" allied to Iran, which also includes Hezbollah in Lebanon and armed groups in Iraq.

Meanwhile, since 2015, Saudi Arabia has led a military coalition that supports the internationally recognized government of Yemen.

Baqaei said on Monday that the conflict is in Israel's interests and that he prefers a negotiated solution to further war.

What is Arjan's ambassador in the war in Yemen?

Conflicts have escalated in Yemen since internationally-recognized government forces announced Operation Yemen Dawn on October 4 to reverse the Houthis' recent territorial gains, including the capital Sanaa.

Government forces backed by Riyadh have announced an advance near the strategic Bab al-Mandeb Strait, a vital international shipping route. However, the veracity of rival battlefield claims remains difficult to independently verify.

The Houthis have responded with missile and drone attacks on airports, energy infrastructure and other Saudi targets.

Two attacks on Riyadh's King Khalid International Airport on Saturday and Sunday left 14 dead and more than 300 injured. The casualties included foreign nationals from Bangladesh, Pakistan and Palestine.

Escalating violence has also disrupted commercial flights, businesses and schools in Riyadh, underscoring the growing economic and civilian consequences of the conflict.

The United Nations special envoy for Yemen, Hans Grundberg, warned on Friday that Yemen had returned to "full-scale war" and that civilians were bearing the brunt of the attacks.

Why is Iran willing to facilitate negotiations between Saudi Arabia and the Houthis?

Iran's offer to facilitate talks between Riyadh and the Houthis could be an attempt to strengthen Tehran's diplomatic position and ensure a broader regional agreement that goes beyond Yemen.

"I think Iran is trying to turn Yemen from a military liability into a diplomatic asset," Andreas Craig, a Middle East security analyst at King's College London, told Al Jazeera.

He said that Tehran understands that Saudi Arabia, despite intensifying its military operations, is trying to reverse the territorial gains of the Houthis, especially around Taiz and Bab al-Mandeb.

"Araghchi's proposal is an attempt to place Iran as part of the solution to a crisis in which it has also helped perpetuate the problem," Craig said.

Meanwhile, analyst Mortazavi said Iran's diplomatic outreach is part of a broader effort to bridge the burgeoning conflicts across the region.

"The larger political goal is informal non-aggression arrangements between Iran and its allies on the one hand and the United States and its regional partners on the other," he said.

He argued that such a deal would require an end to hostilities on multiple fronts, including Yemen and Lebanon, rather than a resolution limited to the US-Iran conflict.

In addition, academic Craig said there was an important "Saudi dimension" to the discussions.

Riyadh is increasingly uncomfortable with its dependence on Washington and is disappointed by America's limited willingness to intervene in Yemen and has no desire to depend on the UAE again, he said.

"Iran sees an opportunity to show that engagement with Tehran can deliver what Saudi Arabia's traditional security partnerships have struggled to deliver."