Saudi and Iranian foreign ministers hold first call since Houthi strikes

Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan spoke with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi by phone on 11 October 2026, the Saudi Foreign Ministry said. The two ministers discussed the recent escalation in the region and efforts being made to address it. The call was initiated by Araghchi and marked the first publicly reported contact between the two diplomats since Iran-aligned Houthis intensified strikes on Saudi Arabia.timesofindia.indiatimes.com+1

What the two ministers discussed

The Saudi Foreign Ministry published a statement on the X platform confirming the call. The ministry said the two foreign ministers reviewed the recent escalation in the region and the efforts being made to address it, but officials provided no further details on specific diplomatic proposals or agreed measures. The absence of concrete outcomes suggests the call was exploratory rather than a negotiation with deliverables.jpost.com

Yemen's Houthi forces have struck Saudi Arabia several times in the past week. On Saturday, a strike on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh killed 13 people and wounded more than 300, making it the deadliest attack in the kingdom in more than a decade. The Saudi-led coalition said air defences intercepted and destroyed a cruise missile near the airport after an earlier incident in which a projectile struck Terminal 4.

Yemen's government forces on 11 October blamed Houthi militia for the airport attack and vowed a decisive military response. The Saudi civil aviation authority said Dammam airport in the kingdom's Eastern Province was also attacked on Sunday, shortly after the Houthis said they had targeted it. Saudi Arabia's Civil Aviation Authority said damage assessment and checks on airport facility safety were still underway after the Riyadh strike.

The airport attack and its toll

An Indian national injured in the Riyadh airport attack died, the Indian embassy in Saudi Arabia said on 11 October. The embassy said it was in contact with the victim's family and would facilitate repatriation of the remains. Initial reports said the Saturday attack killed 12 people; the toll later rose to 13. Houthi rebels claimed responsibility for the attack that killed 12 and injured more than 300.

Strait of Hormuz disruptions continue

Iran's Supreme National Security Council secretary Mohsen Rezaei said on Monday that the United States had agreed to some of Iran's seven conditions for reopening the strait, but called Washington's response inadequate. Rezaei posted on X that Iranian diplomacy had changed and there would be no return to the status quo ante. Iran has proposed reopening the strait and resuming negotiations if Washington meets its conditions, including ending the US naval blockade.trtworld.com

The Federal Aviation Administration told US airlines on 11 October to exercise caution when flying to or over Saudi Arabia, citing safety threats tied to military activities and navigation system interference. The Notice to Airmen lasts until 10 December and applies to US-registered aircraft. SriLankan Airlines suspended all flights between Riyadh and Colombo until 18 October, while Dammam services continue as scheduled.

The phone call between Prince Faisal bin Farhan and Araghchi produced no announced agreement, and neither government disclosed specific proposals discussed. What remains unconfirmed is whether the contact will lead to further talks or any de-escalation mechanism. The next dated development to watch is the expiration of the Federal Aviation Administration notice on 10 December, which governs US airline flights over Saudi Arabia.