Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov told his US counterpart Marco Rubio in a phone call Saturday that all sides should refrain from the "use of force" in Yemen and enter a "political dialogue", Moscow said on Sunday.
Moscow said Rubio informed Lavrov about Washington's decision to launch strikes against Yemen's Houthis, in a call that came after the two countries have relaunched dialogue since Donald Trump took office.
"In response to argumentation put forward by American representatives, Sergei Lavrov stressed the need for an immediate cessation of the use of force and the importance for all sides to engage in political dialogue so as to find a solution that would prevent further bloodshed," Russia's foreign ministry said.
Russia last year condemned US and British strikes on Yemen and has held talks with the Houthis, who are backed by Moscow's ally Iran.
Iran responds to Trump's threat
The Iranian foreign minister said Sunday that the US has no authority or mandate to dictate Iran's foreign policy because "that era ended in 1979".
Seyed Abbas Araghchi criticised the Biden administration for providing an unprecedented $23 billion to Israel last year, alleging that more than 60,000 Palestinians have been killed and the world holds the US fully responsible.
He directly addressed Washington's demand to stop supporting the Houthis in Yemen, saying, "End support for Israel's genocide and terrorism. Stop killing the people of Yemen."
US President Trump announced Saturday that the US military launched an offensive against the Houthis.
He also warned Iran that "support for Houthi terrorists must end immediately" and cautioned Tehran not to threaten the US or its president because "America will hold you fully accountable, and we will not be kind about it".
'Gaza's shield'
The Houthis said early Sunday that the death toll from the US strikes had climbed to 31, including women and children. Anees al-Asbahi, a spokesperson for the health ministry in Sanaa, said that another 101 people were wounded.
A US official said this was the beginning of air strikes on Houthi targets that are expected to continue. The official spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to talk to the press.
Nasruddin Amer, deputy head of the Houthi media office, said the air strikes would not deter them and they would retaliate against the US. "Sanaa will remain Gaza's shield and support and will not abandon it no matter the challenges," he added on social media.
Another spokesman, Mohamed Abdulsal am, on X, called Trump's claims that the Houthis threaten international shipping routes "false and misleading".
The US air strikes come a few days after the Houthis said they would resume attacks on Israeli vessels sailing off Yemen in response to Israel's latest blockade on Gaza. They described the warning as affecting the Red Sea, the Gulf of Aden, the Bab el-Mandeb Strait and the Arabian Sea.
There have been no Houthi attacks reported since then.
