Saudi Arabia Intensifies Diplomatic Efforts To Prevent Yemen From Sliding Into A Broader Regional Confrontation
Yemen Monitor / Riyadh / Exclusive:
Saudi Arabia has intensified its diplomatic efforts regarding the Yemeni crisis. Its ambassador to Yemen, Mohammed bin Saeed Al Jaber, held two separate meetings in Riyadh with UN Special Envoy Hans Grundberg and Russian Ambassador Yevgeny Kudrov to discuss political and security efforts aimed at containing the conflict amid rising regional tensions.
During his meeting with Grundberg, Al Jaber reaffirmed Saudi Arabia’s support for UN efforts to reach a political solution in Yemen, noting the continued stalemate in ceasefire negotiations due to the Houthis’ rejection of UN and international initiatives, as well as ongoing attacks targeting civilian and economic sites in Saudi Arabia and the UAE.
This coincided with UN warnings about the consequences of escalation. Grundberg expressed concern over the Houthis’ involvement in regionally oriented attacks in parallel with the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran, warning that this could threaten the peace process and push Yemen toward a wider conflict. He called on all parties to exercise restraint and return to the diplomatic track.
In a related context, the Saudi ambassador also discussed with his Russian counterpart developments in Yemen and the region, including security updates in Aden and several southern and eastern provinces, as well as tensions in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden.
The two sides addressed security challenges and their impact on regional stability, emphasizing the importance of continuing international efforts to support security and improve humanitarian conditions in Yemen.
The Russian ambassador praised Saudi Arabia’s role in supporting the Yemeni government, particularly on the economic front, stressing the need to strengthen international coordination to address current challenges.
These diplomatic moves come as the Houthi group has announced military actions against Israel in solidarity with Iran.
On Saturday, the Iran-backed group said it carried out two military operations targeting sensitive military sites in southern Israel using a barrage of cruise missiles and drones—marking the first such attack since Israeli and U.S. strikes on Iran began about a month ago.
Since February 28, Israel and the United States have been waging war on Iran, resulting in thousands of casualties, while Tehran has responded by launching missiles and drones toward Israel and several Arab countries.
