Saudi Arabia has reportedly offered USD 1 billion to Houthis as part of an Iran-brokered deal to secure a ceasefire and halt attacks on the kingdom, Israeli
media reported, citing diplomatic sources in the Gulf. The report comes following a high-level meeting in Tehran on Monday between representatives of Mecca Pact countries and Iranian officials. Saudi Defence Minister Khalid bin Salman, Pakistan's army chief General Asim Munir and Turkey's intelligence chief Ibrahim Kalin attended the talks with Mohsen Rezaei, head of Iran's Supreme National Security Council n Tehran. According to a report by Israel Hayom, an Israeli newspaper, Saudi Defence Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman travelled to Tehran for talks aimed at securing a ceasefire with the Houthis, with the proposed arrangement involving the transfer of USD 1 billion to the group through Iran. One diplomatic source claimed that the Saudi Minister had even brought the money aboard the Hercules military transport aircraft on which he arrived in Tehran. However, the report did not establish that any payment had been made, and a Saudi official did not confirm a transfer. Munir and Turkish intelligence chief Ibrahim Kalin were also involved in the talks, according to the newspaper. The Saudi Foreign Ministry addressed the visit in an official statement, saying, "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 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." Earlier, Iran had openly offered to mediate between Saudi Arabia and the Houthis amid escalating attacks on airports and oil facilities.
