Iranian president denies involvement in Houthi attacks and warns US after Trump rebuffs peace offer
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said Iran is not behind the recent Houthi strikes on Saudi Arabia and offered to help mediate, while noting that the United States has turned down a proposed week-long peace initiative.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said that Tehran bears no responsibility for the latest Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia and expressed willingness to assist in a diplomatic settlement. He blamed the United States and Israel for provoking Gulf states to fight each other and emphasized that Muslim brothers should not be pitted against one another. The statement follows a series of Houthi advances that seized the Yemeni port of Mocha, occupied Perim Island in the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, and took control of the Hanish Islands archipelago, jeopardizing a key maritime chokepoint.
According to unnamed U.S. officials, President Donald Trump rejected an Iranian proposal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz within a week, leaving the prospect of further strikes open. Iran’s military, via the semi-official Mehr news agency, warned that any U.S. misstep could make American bases and interests in the region legitimate targets. Pezeshkian also said Iran no longer trusts talks with Washington after repeated attacks and sanctions accompanying each negotiation.
Why it matters
The dispute threatens vital shipping lanes and could draw major powers into a broader Middle-East confrontation.
How this story developed
- Sep 11 Smoke spotted near Saudi East-West oil pipeline as Houthi advances intensify
- Sep 16 Houthis seized coastal towns and islands at the mouth of the Bab el-Mandeb strait.
- Sep 19 Washington met Houthi envoys in Oman and secured assurances that American vessels would not be targeted.
- Sep 19 The Saudi Directorate of Civil Defence said the danger has passed in Riyadh and al‑Kharj and urged residents to continue following its instructions and avoid gathering or filming.
- Sep 19 The Houthis announced new missile and drone strikes on Riyadh and Yanbu.
- Sep 19 Saudi officials confirmed that Yemen's Houthi forces attempted a ballistic missile strike on Riyadh, which was intercepted, and also failed to hit targets in Yanbu, Taif, Baysh and Farasan.
- Sep 21 Fire on the tanker was extinguished after the projectile strike.
- Sep 22 The United States declined to conduct direct kinetic strikes against the Houthis.
- Sep 23 A cargo ship was struck by an unknown projectile, igniting a fire and forcing crew evacuation.
- Sep 24 The Houthis seized the port city of Mocha and nearby Bab al‑Mandab positions.
- Sep 25 Trump publicly voiced support for Saudi self‑reliance against Houthi attacks.
- Sep 26 UN Security Council issued a condemnation of Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia.
- Sep 26 Gulf leaders scheduled a meeting with Donald Trump to seek a diplomatic path with Iran.
In this story
Related stories
17 in this thread