Iran’s FM urges diplomacy in call with Saudi counterpart

Saudi Arabian Minister of Foreign Affairs Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud has received a phone call from his Iranian counterpart, Abbas Araghchi, the Saudi state news agency documented.

Key points

• Iranian and Saudi diplomatic ties have endured despite longstanding friction, with embassies restored under a 2023 Chinese-brokered agreement remaining operational.
• Riyadh's relationship with Tehran has deteriorated since the start of the US-Israel war on Iran in late February.
• The two ministers discussed the recent escalations in the region after the Houthis, backed by Iran, attacked Saudi airports.
• These remarks represent a departure from the president's comments on Thursday that Washington will not resume strikes on Iran until after the US midterm elections.
• In a post on Telegram on Sunday, Araghchi emphasised that insisting on a military approach while disregarding political solutions would further complicate the situation.

Notably, the two ministers discussed the recent escalations in the region after the Houthis, backed by Iran, attacked Saudi airports.

In a post on Telegram on Sunday, Araghchi emphasised that insisting on a military approach while disregarding political solutions would further complicate the situation. The Iranian minister remarked the region's crises have no military solutions. Last week, Araghchi remarked "there is no military solution" to the US war, adding, "only negotiations based on justice and fairness" could end the conflict.

Araghchi remarked Iran is ready to provide any assistance necessary to facilitate the start of dialogue between Saudi Arabia and Yemen and to assist achieve a political solution.

After the deadly attack on the Riyadh airport that killed 12 residents and wounded 300, US President Donald Trump noted he would reconsider the US role in Yemen, adding that he is weighing resuming strikes on Iran.

Iranian and Saudi diplomatic ties have endured despite longstanding friction, with embassies restored under a 2023 Chinese-brokered agreement remaining operational. Before that breakthrough, a seven-year diplomatic rupture had fuelled regional proxy conflicts.

Riyadh's relationship with Tehran has deteriorated since the start of the US-Israel war on Iran in late February. After the attacks, Tehran and its aligned forces have struck US military assets and energy infrastructure throughout the Gulf region, including oil fields in Saudi Arabia.

In March 2026, Prince Faisal cautioned Iran that tolerance of its attacks on Saudi Arabia and those of neighbouring Gulf states is limited, calling on Tehran to "recalculate" its strategy.

In short, iran's FM urges diplomacy in call with Saudi counterpart is the central thread here, and readers can expect follow-up reporting as the picture becomes clearer.