Iran Providing Houthis with Weapons, Training and Support, Says Saudi Deputy Foreign Minister for Public Diplomacy Dr. Rayed Krimly in Virtual Press Briefing

*RIYADH:* Dr. Rayed Krimly, Saudi Arabia’s Deputy Minister for Public Diplomacy at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, has accused Iran of providing weapons, training and other assistance to Yemen’s Houthi group and encouraging the recent escalation of attacks against Saudi Arabia. He said Tehran appeared reluctant to make the necessary concessions to resolve the wider regional conflict.

According to the Associated Press (AP), Dr. Krimly made these remarks during a virtual briefing with journalists on October 15. He claimed that the Houthis had targeted key Saudi locations over a period of more than a week, including Riyadh’s international airport, the headquarters of Saudi oil company Aramco, and other aviation, oil and military facilities. He described the attacks as war crimes and said at least 19 people, including foreign nationals, had been killed.

Dr. Krimly said Saudi Arabia had invited the Houthis in July to meet in Oman to discuss ways to resolve differences and reduce tensions, but the group had declined the invitation. He claimed that, a few days later, the Houthis advanced along Yemen’s Red Sea coast and seized a strategically important area near the Bab al-Mandab Strait. According to him, the Saudi-led military coalition launched a major operation this month to retake the area.

The Saudi official said Riyadh maintained direct contacts with the Houthis, while Oman facilitated the discussions. He also stated that communication between Saudi Arabia and Iran remained ongoing and that the foreign ministers of the two countries had spoken by telephone at least once during the recent attacks.

Dr. Krimly expressed support for diplomatic efforts by Qatar and Pakistan to end the wider conflict involving Iran. He said mediators were seeking progress on two key issues: a possible arrangement to ensure safe maritime passage through the Strait of Hormuz in exchange for lifting the US blockade of Iranian ports, and clear assurances regarding the framework and scope of negotiations over Iran’s nuclear programme.

He said Iran was taking considerable time to submit new proposals and that, in Saudi Arabia’s view, the proposals presented so far were insufficient. According to him, repeated discussions on temporary arrangements had not yet produced an agreement capable of paving the way for a peaceful resolution.

The Saudi official also alleged that certain elements in China and Russia might be providing Iran and the Houthis with technological or intelligence-related assistance, although he did not present detailed evidence to support the claim. He said Saudi Arabia remained in contact with both countries on the issue. He provided no further details about the potential assistance under the recently concluded mutual defence agreement involving Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Türkiye.