Iran's top diplomat engages in discussions with prominent Houthi militia leaders in Oman.
Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi recently hanged out with a significant figure from the Yemeni Houthi militia, who are Iran's allies, in Oman. His ministry shared pics of this cozy moment with Mohammed Abdelsalam, the main peace negotiator of the Houthis, in Muscat, Oman's main city.
Prior to this, Araghchi had visited numerous capitals including Baghdad, Lebanon, Syria, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar. As per diplomatic whispers, the main topics of these meetings were perhaps negotiating a truce in Lebanon and Gaza, and putting a halt to the region-wide escalation of the conflict.
Araghchi's journey across the Gulf region is happening during a period of continuous hostile actions between Hezbollah in Lebanon and Israel, and with Israel's anticipated response to the second direct rocket strike by Iran against Israel. Iran had launched around 200 rockets at Israel on October 1, claiming it was in retaliation for the death of Hezbollah's leader Hassan Nasrallah in an Israeli airstrike in Beirut. Israel, in response, promised revenge.
Similar to Hezbollah, the Houthi militia in Yemen is part of the "Axis of Resistance" led and influenced by Iran, which aims to counteract Israel. This alliance also includes the radical Islamic Palestinian organization Hamas based in the Gaza Strip. The Houthis have controlled substantial parts of Yemen for years and they've regularly targeted ships in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden.
The Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi's meeting with Mohammed Abdelsalam was not his first interaction with allies; he has previously met with leaders in various Middle Eastern capitals. As part of the "Axis of Resistance," the Iranian and the Houthi militia share common goals, aiming to counteract Israel.
