Arab states remain open to dialogue with Iran, but diplomacy requires a willingness to respond in kind, Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Secretary General Jasem Mohamed Al Budaiwi said on Saturday, as he called for the restoration of shipping through the Strait of Hormuz. "The GCC states have always called for dialogue and negotiation to resolve any issue in the region, and they still do," Al Budaiwi told the 22nd IISS Manama Dialogue in Bahrain. He said the six-member bloc maintained relations with major international powers and kept channels of communication open with neighboring countries, including Iran. "In a region of widening divides, this ability to talk to all sides is one of the few assets left," he said. "But diplomacy needs partners, partners who respond in kind."

Yemen's foreign minister said on Saturday that Iranian support for the Houthis and their links to armed groups in Iraq and Lebanon pose a threat to regional security and international shipping, calling for action to stop weapons and funding reaching the group. Afrah al-Zouba, foreign minister of Yemen's internationally recognized government, cited findings by UN experts on foreign assistance to the Houthis during an address at the 22nd IISS Manama Dialogue in Bahrain. "The UN panel of experts on Yemen has shown that all the support being given to the Houthis from Iran, from Iraqi armed groups and Hezbollah has been proven," she said. Al-Zouba said the consequences of the conflict in Yemen had spread beyond the country, affecting regional stability and maritime navigation.