Iran has denied allegations that it encouraged Yemen’s Houthi rebels to intensify attacks on Saudi Arabia, renewing its offer to mediate between the two sides as missile and drone strikes threaten critical infrastructure across the region.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei rejected the accusation on Friday, October 16, insisting that the Houthis act according to their own interests and assessments.
“The Islamic Republic of Iran rejects any claim that Iran has played a role in Yemeni (Houthi) operations,” Baqaei said in a statement.
He added that Tehran did not consider further escalation to be in the interests of any party and maintained that claims of Iranian involvement lacked credibility.
The denial followed an accusation by Saudi Deputy Minister for Public Diplomacy Rayed Krimly, who said Iran had encouraged the Houthis’ latest escalation against the kingdom.
Krimly also alleged that the rebels had rejected an offer to meet in Oman when the latest round of hostilities began.
Iran offers to mediate
Despite rejecting Riyadh’s allegations, Tehran reiterated its willingness to help end the confrontation.
Baqaei said Iran had always been prepared to use its diplomatic channels to bring the hostilities to an end, offering to facilitate dialogue between Saudi Arabia and the Houthis.
The renewed offer comes as attacks attributed to the Yemeni group extend beyond Saudi territory to government-held areas of Yemen, including the southern port city of Aden.
On Friday, the Saudi-led military coalition reported intercepting and destroying three drones in southern Saudi Arabia and Riyadh, as well as two cruise missiles over the Red Sea. It also said a ballistic missile had been intercepted over Yanbu, a coastal city linked to a major Saudi oil export pipeline.
The reported interceptions underscore the continuing threat to Saudi infrastructure as the kingdom faces attacks on airports, energy facilities and shipping routes.
Houthi strikes hit Aden
The escalation has also intensified fighting inside Yemen.
Two missiles struck within the perimeter of Aden’s airport on Friday, according to local security officials, marking the second such incident in less than a week. No casualties were reported in the airport attack.
The Houthis said the strike targeted a command headquarters for Saudi forces and a weapons depot.
Yemen’s Information Ministry said a Yemenia Airways aircraft preparing to depart for Cairo narrowly escaped being hit. The missiles reportedly landed about 500 metres from the aircraft and approximately 100 metres from the centre of the runway.
The ministry condemned the attack, warning that strikes near civilian aviation facilities endangered passengers, flight crews and airport operations.
The airport attack came a day after a missile strike on the Al-Maashiq presidential palace complex in Aden, which houses Yemen’s internationally recognised government.
Yemeni authorities reported that five people were killed and 16 injured in Thursday’s attack. The Houthis said they had targeted military operations facilities associated with Saudi-led forces.
Wider regional tensions
The renewed attacks follow the breakdown of a period of relative calm in Yemen’s long-running civil war and fresh advances by Houthi forces against government troops backed by Saudi Arabia.
The group has also targeted Saudi territory, including Riyadh’s international airport, as well as oil infrastructure and shipping interests in the Red Sea. These attacks have raised concerns about civilian safety, regional security and the stability of important commercial routes.
Iran has repeatedly rejected allegations that it directs Houthi military operations, while the group maintains its own political and military agenda in Yemen. Saudi Arabia, on the other hand, has continued supporting the internationally recognised Yemeni government and has accused Tehran of contributing to the latest escalation.
The competing positions leave diplomacy facing a difficult test as attacks continue.
Iran’s offer to mediate provides a potential diplomatic avenue, but it remains unclear whether Riyadh and the Houthis are prepared to resume negotiations.
For now, the reported missile and drone interceptions in Saudi Arabia and attacks on facilities in Aden highlight the growing risks to civilians, aviation and regional infrastructure as the conflict intensifies.
