Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Saturday (October 17, 2026) that Tehran supports a “political process” to resolve the conflict between Saudi Arabia and Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthis.

The Houthis have repeatedly attacked Saudi targets including energy facilities and Riyadh’s international airport, where 13 people were killed in a major attack last week.

“We support an inclusive and comprehensive political process as the only practical and sustainable way to resolve the issue,” Araghchi said in a speech at the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation in Baghdad.

Araghchi repeated Iran’s offer to mediate between the two sides. Deputy Foreign Minister Saeed Khatibzadeh previously said Riyadh has not responded to Iran’s overture.

On Friday (October 16, 2026), Iran denied having anything to do with the Houthi attacks, after Saudi Arabia accused Tehran of encouraging the group’s escalation.

In his speech, Araghchi also said “either we build security together, or we will endure insecurity together,” adding that Tehran was willing “to cooperate with all its brothers and neighbours to achieve the first option”.

The Houthis and Hezbollah in Lebanon are part of Iran’s “Axis of Resistance” against Israel and the United States, which also includes armed groups in Iraq.

Aircraft tracking website FlightRadar24 on Saturday (September 19, 2026) reported major issues at the Saudi capital’s Riyadh King Khalid International Airport, including cancellations and delays, after residents saw smoke and flames near the site.

The airport was listed under the site’s maximum disruption index of 5.0, meaning the airport was seeing “major problems with long delays and several cancelled flights”.

The disruption follows an overnight air raid alert issued by Saudi authorities, the first since fighting in neighbouring Yemen intensified this month.

An Aramco fuel tank near Riyadh’s international airport was on fire Saturday (September 19, 2026), according to an AFP journalist, after people in the city reported hearing explosions.

Firefighters could be seen trying to extinguish the flames of a burnt out fuel tank with the Saudi oil giant Aramco logo appearing on the structure.