Iran condemned Nov. 6 the Riyadh Agreement, which integrated the Southern Transitional Council into the Cabinet of Yemen’s internationally recognized government. Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Abbas Mousavi said the Riyadh Agreement would lead to the “occupation of southern Yemen” by Saudi Arabia, and “will by no means help settle the problems of Yemen.”

Iran’s strident opposition to the Riyadh Agreement can be explained by its apprehensions about the deal’s impact on the balances of forces in Yemen and concerns about escalating tensions with Saudi Arabia. Ali Ahmadi, a Tehran-based geopolitical analyst, told Al-Monitor that Iran views the Riyadh Agreement as “not a step toward peace” but a mere “reorganization of forces on one side of the conflict.” Although the Riyadh Agreement received praise from the international community for preventing a protracted civil war in southern Yemen, Iran views the restoration of unity within the Saudi-led coalition as a negative development. Ahmadi said Iran views the conflict in Yemen as an “illegal war of aggression caused by Saudi-Sunni sectarian expansionism,” and sees “friction among those forces as a positive step toward their eventual withdrawal.”

Although Saudi Arabia has reportedly engaged with Iraq and Pakistan on de-escalating tensions with Iran, the Iranian foreign policy community remains wary of Riyadh’s intentions. Maysam Behravesh, a former Iranian intelligence analyst and academic at Lund University in Sweden, told Al-Monitor, “Iran’s strong rejection of the Riyadh Agreement is driven by its perceptions of Saudi and US involvement in the Iraq and Lebanon protests.” By criticizing Saudi diplomatic efforts in Yemen, Iran is sending a signal to Riyadh that it views Yemen as a lever to retaliate against Saudi Arabia’s efforts to contain Iran.

As Iran wishes to keep Saudi Arabia embroiled in Yemen and to prevent Riyadh from striking a peace agreement on its terms, Tehran could expand its support for the Houthis and try to increase its profile as a diplomatic stakeholder in Yemen. On Oct. 26, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif welcomed Houthi spokesman Mohammed Abdulsalam to Tehran, and called for the “removal of the siege on Yemen.” As this meeting took place in parallel with the Riyadh Agreement negotiations, it was widely viewed as an attempt by Iran to express solidarity with the Houthis against a reunified Saudi-led coalition. Iran’s endorsement of Houthi leader Mohammed al-Houthi’s efforts to downplay the Riyadh Agreement’s significance also illustrated Tehran’s resolute commitment to the Houthi cause.