Iran, Saudi Arabia discuss regional 'insecurity' as Yemen fighting flares

The top diplomats of Iran and Saudi Arabia spoke by phone to discuss "growing insecurity" in the region, Tehran said, without mentioning recent fighting in Yemen, where the two countries support opposing sides.

Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi spoke with his Saudi counterpart Faisal bin Farhan on Thursday evening.

Why did Iran and Saudi Arabia discuss regional insecurity?

Araghchi and bin Farhan discussed "the escalation of tensions and the growing insecurity in the region," according to Tehran's foreign ministry.

The two sides "emphasized the need to continue cooperation and diplomatic efforts in order to prevent the spread of tensions and reestablish stability," even as their allies clash militarily in Yemen.

How are Iran and Saudi Arabia involved in the Yemen conflict?

Tehran backs Yemen's Houthis, who have held large parts of the country's north for years and on Thursday seized the strategic Red Sea port city of Mocha. Riyadh has long supported Yemen's internationally recognized government and has carried out airstrikes on the Houthis since they began their advance, the group has said.

Saudi Arabia and Iran have also clashed during the wider Middle East war, which saw Tehran launch strikes on Saudi oil infrastructure and US-linked targets in the kingdom. Though Thursday's ministry readout did not specifically mention Yemen, a separate statement addressing the fighting there insisted it was "impossible to resolve the Yemeni crisis through... military intervention."

Why is the Houthi advance in Yemen significant?

The Houthis have controlled Yemen's capital Sanaa and the major port city of Hodeida for years, but in recent days have launched a new offensive pushing toward the strategic Bab al-Mandab strait, the gateway to the Red Sea. This waterway, which links Asia to Europe via the Suez Canal, has gained importance as a transit route since the start of the wider Middle East war, which saw Iran blockade the Strait of Hormuz.

Using drones and missiles, the Houthis have disrupted traffic in the Red Sea and sought to enforce a maritime blockade on Saudi ports, while also striking Saudi oil infrastructure.

Yemen relapsed into war in July after years of relative calm punctured by sporadic violence and deepening poverty. On Wednesday, the Saudi-led coalition battling the Houthis said the group fired ballistic missiles and drones at several cities in southern Saudi Arabia.