Iran has offered to facilitate talks between Saudi Arabia and Yemen's Houthi group following a series of deadly attacks on the kingdom, raising questions about Tehran's diplomatic calculations as fighting intensifies across the region.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi spoke with his Saudi counterpart, Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud, on Sunday, in their first publicly reported contact since the Iran-aligned Houthis stepped up attacks on Saudi Arabia.

The diplomatic outreach came after two strikes on Riyadh's King Khalid International Airport on Saturday and Sunday killed 14 people and wounded more than 300. The casualties included foreign nationals from Bangladesh, Pakistan and Palestine.

According to the Saudi state news agency, the two foreign ministers discussed the recent escalation in the region and efforts to reduce tensions. Iran's Foreign Ministry also confirmed the contact.

Following the discussions, Araghchi warned against pursuing a military solution to the conflict and offered Tehran's assistance in facilitating dialogue between Saudi Arabia and Yemen. "Insisting on a military approach and disregarding a political solution would only further complicate the situation," Araghchi said, according to Iran's Foreign Ministry.

On Monday, ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei reiterated Tehran's willingness to mediate, saying Iran was deeply concerned about developments in the Arabian Peninsula. "We absolutely do not want hostilities and war to continue between two Islamic countries," Baghaei said, urging dialogue to resolve the conflict. Baghaei also said the conflict served Israeli interests, framing a negotiated settlement as preferable to further fighting.

The Houthis, also known as Ansar Allah, have carried out a series of missile and drone strikes on Saudi airports, energy infrastructure and other targets. The escalating attacks have disrupted commercial flights, businesses and schools in Riyadh, underlining the growing economic and civilian consequences of the conflict.

Analysts note that while Iran backs the Houthis, its influence over the group has limits. "Tehran is an ally of Ansar Allah and has influence with the movement, although it does not control its decisions," said Negar Mortazavi, senior fellow at the Washington, DC-based Center for International Policy. "By offering to facilitate talks with Riyadh, Iran is positioning itself as an indispensable party to a broader regional settlement."

Iran's diplomatic outreach also comes against the backdrop of the wider US-Israel conflict with Iran, with Tehran potentially seeking to avoid being drawn into another confrontation.

Iran has repeatedly called for a diplomatic settlement to Yemen's conflict and says it supports a political solution rather than continued military action. Tehran backs the Houthis, who control Yemen's capital, Sanaa, and other parts of the country. The armed group forms part of the Iran-aligned axis of resistance, which also includes Lebanon's Hezbollah and armed groups in Iraq.

Saudi Arabia has led a military coalition supporting Yemen's internationally recognised government since 2015.

Fighting has intensified on the ground after the internationally recognised government's forces announced Operation Dawn of Yemen on October 4, aimed at reversing recent Houthi territorial gains, including in the capital, Sanaa. Government forces, backed by Riyadh, have reported advances near the strategic Bab al-Mandeb strait, a vital international shipping route. Competing battlefield claims, however, remain difficult to independently verify.

The Houthi strikes on Saudi territory have raised broader questions about the kingdom's vulnerability in an era of low-cost drone warfare. Strikes have targeted airports and oil facilities, with analysts assessing the physical and material damage as well as the potential repercussions for Saudi Arabia's ability to project regional strength.

UN Special Envoy for Yemen Hans Grundberg warned on Friday that Yemen had returned to full-scale conflict, though the full text of his remarks was not available in the source material.