RIYADH: Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan discussed the latest regional escalation and efforts to de-escalate tensions with his Iranian counterpart, Abbas Araqchi, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Sunday, as Riyadh continued diplomatic contacts following attacks on the Kingdom.
Araqchi said in a post on Telegram that Iran was ready to provide any assistance to facilitate dialogue between Saudi Arabia and Yemen.
The contact was the first publicly reported communication between the two foreign ministers since the recent escalation in attacks on Saudi Arabia by Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthi militia.
Prince Faisal also received calls from the foreign ministers of Bahrain and the United Kingdom, with both countries expressing solidarity with Saudi Arabia and condemning the Houthi attacks on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh.
Bahraini Foreign Minister Abdullatif bin Rashid Al-Zayani conveyed his country’s condolences over the deaths of Saudi citizens and residents in the airport attack. He affirmed Bahrain’s full solidarity with the Kingdom and support for measures to safeguard its sovereignty, security and stability, according to SPA.
The two ministers also discussed regional developments and efforts to maintain security and stability.
During a separate call, British Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband and Prince Faisal reviewed bilateral relations and regional developments, including joint efforts to address tensions and mitigate their security and economic consequences.
Miliband condemned Houthi attacks targeting Saudi Arabia’s civilian infrastructure and expressed Britain’s solidarity with both the Kingdom and Yemen’s internationally recognized government in confronting the attacks, SPA reported.
The latest diplomatic contacts followed calls on Sunday between Prince Faisal and Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi, as well as European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas.
Safadi affirmed Jordan’s support for Saudi Arabia and praised the Kingdom’s authorities for providing medical care and assistance to Jordanians injured in Saturday’s attack on King Khalid International Airport, according to the earlier report.
Kallas condemned the attack as a “terrorist act,” stressing that indiscriminate attacks against civilians and civilian infrastructure could not be justified. She also reaffirmed the EU’s support for Saudi Arabia and highlighted the importance of regional cooperation on maritime defense and the security of regional waterways.
The diplomatic outreach comes amid a sharp escalation in attacks attributed to the Houthis, including the missile strike on Riyadh’s airport on Saturday. Twelve people were initially reported killed and 309 wounded. India’s embassy in Riyadh later said one of its citizens died Sunday of injuries sustained in Saturday’s attack, raising the toll to 13.
Saudi authorities later said King Fahd International Airport in Dammam also was attacked, with few details. The city is on the Arabian Gulf near Bahrain and Qatar.
The attack was described as the deadliest in Saudi Arabia in more than a decade. A further assault on the airport was reported on Sunday, when an unidentified projectile struck Terminal 4, causing a fire and killing a Pakistani national and wounding 11 others, according to the Saudi General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA)
The attacks have raised concerns over the security of civilian infrastructure and the risk of a wider regional escalation, prompting renewed diplomatic efforts to contain tensions.