Daijiworld Media Network - Riyadh
Riyadh, Oct 27: Saudi Arabia has reportedly offered $1 billion to Yemen's Houthi group under an Iran-brokered arrangement aimed at securing a ceasefire and halting attacks on the kingdom, according to Israeli media reports citing diplomatic sources in the Gulf.
The reports said Saudi Defence Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman travelled to Tehran for discussions on a possible ceasefire with the Houthis. The proposed arrangement reportedly involved transferring $1 billion to the group through Iran.
A diplomatic source claimed that the Saudi minister had brought the money to Tehran aboard the Hercules military transport aircraft he arrived in. However, a Saudi official did not confirm that any financial transfer had taken place.
The reported talks involved 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. Attacks on tankers in the Strait of Hormuz have also disrupted Gulf oil exports, adding to regional instability.
Saudi Arabia's Foreign Ministry said Prince Khalid bin Salman and representatives of member states of the Mecca Joint Defence Alliance visited Tehran as part of ongoing efforts to reduce tensions and encourage diplomatic solutions.
The ministry said the visit was intended to support mediation efforts by Qatar and Pakistan and promote dialogue among parties involved in the regional crisis.
A Saudi official speaking to Israeli media did not confirm the reported transfer of funds but said part of the dispute with the Houthis concerned the implementation of understandings reached three years ago.
Under those understandings, Saudi Arabia was expected to provide direct financial assistance to the Houthis as part of efforts to reach a settlement. The proposed 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 had failed to honour the earlier understandings.
However, Riyadh's reported position remains that it would not agree to a new ceasefire under what it considers military pressure. Israeli media also reported that Saudi Arabia opposed transferring funds to the Houthis before they returned territory seized from Yemen's internationally recognised government, which the kingdom supports.
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 Iranian leaders. 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 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.