Saudi Arabia offered Houthis $1 billion through Iran to stop attacks: Report

Saudi Arabia rejects ‘military blackmail’ as $1 billion Houthi deal is reported

Saudi Arabia has reportedly offered $1 billion to Yemen’s Houthi group under an Iran-brokered arrangement aimed at securing a ceasefire and stopping attacks on the kingdom, Israeli media reported, citing diplomatic sources in the Gulf.According to the reports, Saudi defence minister Prince Khalid bin Salman travelled to Tehran for talks on a possible ceasefire with the Houthis. The proposed arrangement reportedly involved transferring $1 billion to the group through Iran.One diplomatic source claimed that the Saudi minister had even brought the money to Tehran aboard the Hercules military transport aircraft he arrived in. However, a Saudi official did not confirm that any money had been transferred, the reports said.The talks reportedly brought together Turkish intelligence chief Ibrahim Kalin and Pakistan’s army chief Asim Munir, alongside Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, Supreme National Security Council Secretary General Mohsen Rezaei and senior officials from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).According to the reports, Iran offered to mediate between Saudi Arabia and the Houthis amid escalating attacks on Saudi airports and oil facilities, which have caused economic damage to the kingdom. Iranian attacks on tankers in the Strait of Hormuz have also disrupted oil exports from the Gulf, adding to regional instability.The Saudi foreign ministry addressed the visit in an official statement, saying, “The visit to Tehran by Prince Khalid bin Salman, the defence minister, and representatives of the member states of the Mecca Joint Defence Alliance comes as part of the ‘Nato-style’ alliance’s ongoing efforts to de-escalate tensions between the parties to the current crisis, encourage dialogue and diplomatic solutions, and support the mediation efforts undertaken by the State of Qatar and the Islamic Republic of Pakistan.“A Saudi official, speaking to Israeli media, did not confirm the reported financial transfer but said that part of the dispute with the Houthis centred on the implementation of understandings reached three years ago.Under those understandings, Saudi Arabia was to provide direct financial assistance to the Houthis as part of efforts to reach a settlement. The funding was intended, among other purposes, to pay public-sector salaries in areas under Houthi control and rebuild civilian infrastructure. In return, the group was expected to maintain the ceasefire and stop attacks on Saudi Arabia, the reports said.In recent months, the Houthis have sought to justify their “attacks” by alleging that Saudi Arabia reneged on the earlier understandings.However, the Saudi position reportedly remains that the kingdom will not agree to a new ceasefire under “military blackmail”. Israeli media reported that Riyadh also opposed transferring funds to the Houthis before they returned territory seized from Yemen’s internationally recognised government, which Saudi Arabia backs.The reported negotiations come amid wider regional tensions involving Iran, the United States and Israel. Tehran has sought to strengthen its regional influence while promoting a security framework led by regional powers.According to Israeli media, the Tehran meeting also marked the first official meeting between representatives of the Mecca Joint Defence Alliance and the Iranian leadership. The initiative reportedly took shape during the Pakistani army chief’s visit to Tehran the previous week.The reports said Iran was seeking to position itself as a regional diplomatic mediator while opposing US or Israeli military intervention in the region.The reported $1 billion proposal, including the claim that the money was brought to Tehran aboard the Saudi minister’s aircraft, has not been independently confirmed.