TEHRAN – Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has stressed the need to safeguard Yemen’s territorial integrity and national unity, warning that escalating tensions in the country’s south risk deepening instability and advancing efforts to fragment the war-torn nation.

His remarks came in separate phone calls with senior officials from Yemen and Qatar, where he focused on escalating tensions in southern Yemen and the broader regional fallout from the wars in Gaza and Lebanon.

In a call with Abdulwahid Abu Ras, the foreign minister of Yemen’s Government of Change and Construction, Araghchi reviewed the latest developments in Yemen, including recent unrest in the south.

Abu Ras briefed his Iranian counterpart on the situation and warned that recent moves by “enemies of Yemen and the region” were aimed at further destabilizing the country and would only deepen the crisis.

Araghchi praised the Yemeni people for their support for Palestinians and for resisting Israeli attacks, and stressed the need to safeguard Yemen’s territorial integrity and national unity. He urged Yemeni political groups and factions to engage in dialogue and cooperation to prevent what he said were attempts to weaken or fragment the country.

Araghchi also welcomed a recent agreement between Yemeni parties and Saudi Arabia to exchange prisoners. He said a durable solution to Yemen’s conflict requires the full lifting of the blockade, implementation of the remaining steps of a political “roadmap,” and direct Yemeni-Yemeni negotiations to form an inclusive government grounded in maintaining Yemen’s unity and territorial integrity.

Araghchi also spoke with Qatar’s Foreign Minister and Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani, with both officials emphasizing the importance of preserving Yemen’s unity as violence intensifies in the country’s southern and eastern regions.

The call came after tensions sharply escalated on December 3, when forces affiliated with the UAE-backed Southern Transitional Council (STC) seized control of parts of Hadramout following clashes with Saudi-backed fighters.

The STC later expanded into the eastern governorate of al-Mahrah without reported resistance and has since been recruiting local forces in both provinces.

In response to the STC’s advance, Saudi Arabia carried out airstrikes on Friday targeting STC-linked positions, including sites used by the Hadrami Elite Forces in the Ghayl bin Yamin area near key oil fields. Reports said the strikes caused no casualties and did not damage military equipment.

The STC said on Friday it was open to cooperation or agreements with Saudi Arabia to protect what it described as shared interests, while also pursuing the demands and aspirations of Yemen’s southern population.

The UAE has played a central role in the U.S.-backed, Saudi-led war against Yemen’s Ansarullah-led authorities in Sana’a since 2015. However, Riyadh and Abu Dhabi have also pursued competing agendas, vying for influence over Yemen’s natural resources and strategically important ports.

Critics argue that both countries’ policies are contributing to Yemen’s fragmentation, warning that demands for local autonomy are often used as political cover for a broader struggle for control — with Hadramout emerging as a key battleground in that contest.

Beyond Yemen, Araghchi and Al Thani also voiced alarm over the situation in Palestine and Lebanon, pointing to continued Israeli strikes and repeated violations of ceasefire arrangements.

They called for sustained international pressure on Israel to halt attacks on civilians and to fully comply with its obligations, condemning Israel’s genocide, occupation, and expansionism.