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 Prince Khalid had brought the money to Tehran aboard the Hercules military transport aircraft on which he arrived. However, a Saudi official did not confirm that any money had been transferred, the reports said.
The reported negotiations 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).
Iran reportedly offered to mediate between Saudi Arabia and the Houthis as attacks on Saudi airports and oil facilities intensified, inflicting economic damage on the kingdom. The proposed mediation was aimed at securing a ceasefire and easing tensions between the two sides.
Saudi Arabia’s foreign ministry addressed Prince Khalid’s visit in an official statement, linking it to broader diplomatic efforts involving regional countries.
“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 implementing 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 funding was intended, among other purposes, to cover public-sector salaries in areas under Houthi control and support the reconstruction of civilian infrastructure.
In return, the Houthis were expected to maintain the ceasefire and stop attacks on Saudi Arabia, according to the reports.
In recent months, the Houthis have sought to justify their “attacks” by alleging that Saudi Arabia had reneged on the earlier understandings. The dispute over the implementation of those commitments has reportedly become a central issue in efforts to negotiate a new ceasefire.
However, Saudi Arabia’s position reportedly remains that the kingdom will not agree to a new ceasefire under “military blackmail”. Israeli media also reported that Riyadh opposed transferring funds to the Houthis before they returned territory seized from Yemen’s internationally recognised government, which Saudi Arabia backs.
The reported negotiations are taking place against the backdrop of 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 establish itself as a regional diplomatic mediator while opposing US or Israeli military intervention in the region. The reported engagement between Iranian officials and representatives of the alliance was part of those wider diplomatic efforts.
The reported $1 billion proposal, including the claim that the money was transported to Tehran aboard the Saudi defence minister’s aircraft, has not been independently confirmed. The absence of confirmation from Saudi officials leaves the reported financial transfer unverified, even as the negotiations highlight continuing efforts to address the ceasefire dispute and tensions between Saudi Arabia and the Houthis.
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