EXCLUSIVE: Iran urges de-escalation from Houthis
Shafaq News/ Iran has asked Yemen’s Houthi movement to de-escalate and consider opening a negotiation channel with the United States, sources told Shafaq News.
The message was delivered by former Iraqi Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi during a recent visit to Sanaa, the sources explained. The proposal includes suspending Houthi attacks in the Red Sea and Bab al-Mandeb on the condition of a halt to US airstrikes.
“The results of this message should become clearer once Abdul Mahdi returns to Baghdad,” one source said.
Tehran is reportedly seeking to reshape the rules of engagement across its regional allies and views Yemen as a “focal point” for reducing tensions with Washington. Quds Force commander Esmail Qaani relayed a similar message during a recent visit to Baghdad, urging restraint and encouraging dialogue.
“Iran wants a trusted figure to facilitate dialogue between Yemen and the United States,” one source said, explaining the selection of Abdul Mahdi, who served as Iraq’s Prime Minister from 2018 to 2020 and is viewed as a close ally of Tehran.
“Iraq wants to be a space for dialogue, not conflict,” another source said, adding that Baghdad’s role as a mediator reflects its "growing diplomatic weight" in the region.
Addressing reports of Houthi fighters in Iraq, the sources said the government "does not allow any armed groups, under any name or cover, to use its land as a safe haven," adding that the reported Ansarallah presence in Diyala did not require a "diplomatic mission to Yemen."
A Houthi representative office reportedly remains in Baghdad, despite the closure of a secondary location.
During his visit, Abdul Mahdi also spoke at the Third International Scientific Conference on Palestine. In his remarks, he criticized US naval operations and said the military campaign had “contributed to strengthening Yemenis,” who he claimed “developed new methods to resist the Israeli enemy.”
“Yemen continues to endure and advance in ways unprecedented in the history of the conflict,” he said. “While the enemy depletes its accumulated military stockpiles, Yemen adapts and responds.”
The visit coincided with intensified US strikes on Houthi targets. In a post on Truth Social, US President Donald Trump said, “Tremendous damage has been inflicted upon the Houthi barbarians, and watch how it will get progressively worse — It’s not even a fair fight, and never will be. They will be completely annihilated!”
The Houthi movement initiated its attacks on vessels in the Red Sea in November 2023, expressing solidarity with Palestinians amid the Gaza war. They targeted ships linked to Israel, aiming to pressure for humanitarian aid access to Gaza. A ceasefire in January 2025 led to a temporary halt in these attacks, until the collapse of the truce and Israel's resumption of military operations in Gaza, when the Houthis declared the resumption of their attacks.
