Iran's Araghchi offers to mediate Saudi-Houthi talks, calls for diplomatic end to hostilities

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi offered to help facilitate talks between Saudi Arabia and the Iran-backed Houthi terrorist group amid ongoing hostilities, according to a statement posted on Telegram following his phone call with Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan on Sunday.

Araghchi expressed concern over escalating tensions, warning that continued reliance on military action while disregarding diplomatic solutions would further complicate the situation, the statement said.

He also stressed that the region's ongoing crises could not be resolved militarily and offered Iran's assistance in initiating dialogue between Saudi Arabia and Yemen to help reach a political solution.

The phone call came amid several days of Houthi missile and drone attacks targeting Saudi airports, which have severely disrupted air travel and prompted international airlines to suspend services. Riyadh's King Khalid International Airport is expected to remain closed until October 17, while some airlines have extended flight suspensions into 2027.

Authorities have extended the closure of Riyadh's international airport until Saturday, and airlines scrapped flights after continuing attacks by Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthis emptied the skies over Saudi Arabia's capital.

Riyadh airport closure extended following deadly Houthi attacks

Operations at King Khalid International Airport, Saudi Arabia's second-busiest airport after Jeddah, were suspended to "allow for the completion of procedures to ensure the safety and operational readiness of the airport's facilities," the Saudi civil aviation authority said in a statement.

A Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) issued later in the day said the airport will remain closed until 2100 GMT on October 17.

The airport has been shut since an attack on Saturday that killed 13 people and wounded more than 300, the deadliest in the kingdom in more than a decade. On Sunday, another attack killed one person and injured nearly a dozen others.

Houthi attacks disrupt Saudi aviation, raising security concerns

The attacks marked one of the most significant disruptions to Saudi aviation in years, adding to pressures on an industry already grappling with conflict across the Middle East and with higher jet fuel prices that are eating into profits.

They have also raised worries over civil aviation becoming a target in armed conflict.

"This level of sustained intense attack on civil aviation is unprecedented," said Mark Zee, founder of OPSGROUP, a membership-based organization that provides aviation safety advice.

"I think this requires us to rethink how we view the current risk picture, and tread very carefully," he said.

Air traffic tracker Flightradar24 showed planes avoiding the city on Monday, though jets crossed Saudi airspace and landed at the country's top hub, Jeddah, on the west coast.

Cancellations across all Saudi airports reached 46.4%, aviation analytics firm Cirium said.