Tehran and Riyadh plan to hold joint military exercises in the Red Sea, according to the Times of Israel.

The two traditional Middle Eastern rivals, who support opposing sides in conflict zones in the region, had severed diplomatic relations in 2016. But they restored relations last year after a deal brokered by China.

The plan was revealed by the commander of the Iranian navy, Admiral Shahram Irani, to the Iranian news agency ISNA, in which he said that Saudi Arabia had asked to organize joint exercises in the Red Sea, adding that “coordination is ongoing and delegations from the two countries will hold the necessary consultations on how to conduct the exercise. without giving further details.

Saudi Arabia did not immediately confirm whether it would hold joint military exercises with Iran.

Since last November, Yemen’s Houthis, backed by Iran’s Shiite regime, have carried out dozens of attacks in support of the Palestinians against merchant ships in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden that they say are linked to Israeli interests.

The rebels have also fired missiles at Israel, prompting retaliation from the Israelis, who late last month struck Houthi infrastructure in western Yemen.

At the same time, the Houthis have been at war since 2015 against a Sunni Saudi-led coalition. Controlling the capital Sanaa and Yemen’s largest urban centers, they have forced the country’s internationally recognized government to confine itself to the southern region of Aden.

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