Iran proposed mediating between Saudi Arabia and the Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen during a telephone call between the two countries' foreign ministers on Sunday night.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told his Saudi counterpart, Prince Faisal bin Farhan, that Tehran stood ready to assist in launching dialogue aimed at a political settlement. The offer came amid a sharp escalation in Houthi strikes on Saudi targets, including a deadly attack on Riyadh's international airport.

Araghchi warned in a Telegram statement that insisting on military solutions would only complicate regional crises, which he said have no military resolution. He expressed Iran's willingness to provide any assistance needed to begin talks between Riyadh and the Houthis in Yemen.

Saudi officials confirmed the call occurred and noted discussions on recent regional escalations and efforts to address them, but made no mention of the mediation proposal.

The contact followed a series of Houthi attacks on Saudi airports over the past week. A strike on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh on Saturday killed at least 12 people and injured hundreds more. Additional attacks targeted other Saudi airports and energy facilities, according to reports from the region.

Houthi forces claimed responsibility for the Riyadh airport strike and warned that Saudi airports and airspace remain legitimate targets. The group also accused Saudi-led coalition forces of conducting over 100 airstrikes on Sanaa and other Yemeni areas in response.

The latest violence marks a significant intensification of the long-running conflict in Yemen, where the Houthis have fought Saudi-backed forces supporting the internationally recognized Yemeni government for more than a decade. Iran has provided consistent backing to the Houthis throughout the war.

Diplomatic ties between Iran and Saudi Arabia were restored in 2023 through Chinese mediation after years of rupture that fueled proxy confrontations across the Middle East. The current offer represents the first publicly reported high-level contact between the ministers since the recent surge in attacks.

Saudi Arabia faces ongoing pressure from repeated Houthi missile and drone strikes, with reports indicating strains on its air defense systems. The kingdom has continued operations against Houthi positions in Yemen while seeking to protect critical infrastructure.

Regional observers note that Iran's involvement in multiple proxy conflicts, including support for groups like the Houthis, has contributed to broader instability in the Persian Gulf and beyond. The mediation proposal arrives as overlapping tensions persist in the area.