Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian moved Saturday to separate his government from the intensifying clash between Saudi Arabia and Yemen’s Houthi movement, insisting Tehran itself isn’t fighting Riyadh. He said the Houthis are pursuing their own separate grievances, and urged regional states to pursue cooperation over confrontation.
His comments land at a delicate moment. The Houthis have just wrapped up a rapid offensive that left them in control of Yemen’s entire Red Sea coast, including the strategically vital Bab el-Mandeb Strait and Mayyun Island, after routing Saudi-backed government forces. Riyadh has long accused Iran of arming and directing the group, and tensions spiked further this week after a drone strike knocked out Saudi Arabia’s East-West oil pipeline — an attack Donald Trump said Saturday he suspects Iran was behind, even as Iran-aligned militias in Iraq denied any role.
The remarks also come as Iran works to manage fallout from its broader standoff with Washington and Israel following this year’s war. Iranian officials are due in Oman on Monday for talks focused on the Strait of Hormuz, though a source close to the discussions cautioned a formal agreement isn’t likely to emerge. Adding to the volatility, a ship was hit by an unidentified projectile while passing through Hormuz early Sunday, according to UK maritime monitors — a reminder of how tense the wider Gulf remains even as Pezeshkian tries to reassure Arab neighbors that Tehran isn’t seeking a wider fight.
