US Meets Houthi Rebels, Receives Assurance on Ship Attacks

U.S. officials met with Houthi representatives in Oman earlier this week, days after the Iran-backed rebels seized a strategic Red Sea coastline. During the meeting, the Houthis reportedly assured the U.S. they would refrain from attacking American vessels in the Bab al-Mandab strait, which they now effectively control. They also stated their commitment to a 2025 ceasefire with the U.S. and pledged not to attack Israeli or other commercial ships, with the exception of those belonging to Saudi Arabia.

The secret meeting, confirmed by three sources, took place at the U.S. Embassy in Muscat on Sunday. The U.S. had previously designated the Houthis as a "foreign terrorist organization" in March 2025, but has engaged in negotiations. Washington reached a ceasefire with the group in May of the previous year after bombing them to halt attacks on Red Sea shipping lanes. While the Houthis continued to attack ships near their coast, they generally avoided U.S. vessels.

Recent Houthi advances near Bab al-Mandab have raised concerns about global trade and oil supply, especially amid the existing crisis in the Strait of Hormuz. However, U.S. President Donald Trump announced last Saturday that the Houthis had contacted his administration requesting the U.S. stay out of the Yemen conflict. Vice President Mike Pence confirmed on Tuesday that Washington is in direct contact with the group.

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman reportedly requested U.S. military assistance from Trump last week due to the Houthis' significant gains, but the U.S. clarified it would not intervene directly. This leaves Saudi Arabia in a strategic dilemma, as it faces attacks from Houthi and other Iran-backed proxies without active U.S. or new "Mecca Alliance" partners like Turkey and Pakistan providing substantial support.

One source identified Mohammed Abd al-Salam, a sanctioned Houthi official based in Muscat, as part of the Houthi delegation. The Houthis, who seized Yemen's capital Sanaa in 2014, have been fighting a Saudi-led coalition for over a decade, a conflict that has caused over 100,000 deaths. The war had subsided following a ceasefire, but resumed in July when the Houthis blockaded Saudi vessels in response to a Saudi blockade of Yemeni ports.

Saudi Arabia reported intercepting a drone targeting Mecca on Tuesday, calling it a "red line" violation, though the Houthis denied launching the drone. The Houthis also claimed on Wednesday to have shot down a Saudi-led coalition F-15 fighter jet over Marib province, without providing evidence.