Aramco Under Houthi Fire... Tehran Moves to Contain a New Regional Explosion

Iran has called for pursuing a diplomatic path to contain the growing escalation in Yemen and the wider region, with Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi stressing that a military solution will not be an option for ending the crisis.

Araghchi said, in an interview with the state-run newspaper Iran, that addressing the situation in Yemen requires dialogue bringing together Saudi Arabia, Yemen, and regional countries. He stressed that the roots of the crisis are tied to regional conflicts that have persisted for years and are not Iran’s responsibility alone, despite Tehran’s support for the Houthi group.

Araghchi’s remarks come at a time when the region is witnessing a new escalation, after the Houthis announced what they described as a “blockade” on shipping linked to Saudi Arabia, following a series of attacks that have in recent months affected commercial navigation in the Red Sea.

In a field development, Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree announced attacks targeting facilities belonging to Saudi Aramco at the ports of Jazan and Yanbu, indicating that missile capabilities were used. Commercial sources in Asia reported the possibility of damage to some oil and fuel storage facilities in Jazan.

By contrast, Yemeni sources announced that the government’s air force had carried out strikes on Houthi missile and drone launch sites, in addition to targeting weapons depots in the provinces of Marib and Al-Jawf.

The latest escalation brings the Yemen file back to the forefront of regional tensions, amid international calls to avoid a widening of the confrontation and its repercussions for energy security and global trade flows.