Iran says supporting “process” to resolve conflict between Riyadh and Houthis

O iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said today that his country supports a “political process” in the conflict that opposes the pro-Iranian Houthis from Yemen to Saudi Arabia.

After years of calming down, clashes began in July in Yemen, where Saudi Arabia provides military support to government forces against the Houthis, who launch attacks against the kingdom.

“ We support the sovereignty, independence, unity and territorial integrity of Yemen and those of Saudi Arabia. We support an inclusive and comprehensive political process, which is the only realistic and lasting way to solve the problem,” he said in a speech in Baghdad, quoted by AFP, before the Organisation for Islamic Cooperation (ICO).

Araghchi again proposed Iran's mediation to bring Saudi Arabia and the Houthis, although his deputy, Saeed Khatibzadeh, had previously indicated that Riyadh had not yet responded to this Iranian proposal.

Iran denied on Friday any involvement in the Houthis attacks on Saudi Arabia following Riyadh’s accusations that the Islamic Republic would be “encouraging” the “intensification” of the group’s military operations.

The magnitude of the recent attacks of these fighters, which targeted in particular oil infrastructure and Saudi airports, has been unprecedented since the beginning of the war in 2014.

On several occasions, Tehran denied to be behind the decisions of the Houthi or to interfere with them, stating that the Yemeni movement acted in accordance with its own interests.

“We either build our security together, or we will suffer insecurity together,” he added on Saturday Araghchi, saying that his country was willing “to cooperate with all his brothers and neighbors to reach the first option.”.

In a statement released by the agency Tasnim, the Iranian Revolutionary Guard reported that a second supertanker burned down today after colliding with a naval mine while attempting to cross the Strait of Ormuz by an “unauthorised” route, hours after announcing a similar accident in this strategic maritime passage.

The Iranian elite military corps indicated that the ship, which carried over two million barrels of crude oil, suffered a massive explosion in the engine room after the collision and was immobilized.

According to the Revolutionary Guard, the vessel, whose flag has not been identified, attempted to cross an “unauthorized” route after the U.S. Army “has induced, through misleading maneuvers, to shut down all its positioning and radar systems,” according to its version.

Previously, the Iranian military force had informed this morning of the fire of another crude-loaded supertank after colliding with a naval mine while sailing through the narrow strategic with its navigation systems off.