U.S. diplomats meet with Houthis as Red Sea crisis intensifies
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Fighters affiliated with the Saudi-backed Yemeni government clash with Houthi authorities in Al-Jawf province on September 15. (Photo by AFPTV / AFP via Getty Images)
American diplomats met over the weekend with Houthi representatives at the U.S. embassy in Oman and discussed tensions in the Red Sea, a regional source familiar with the issue confirmed.
Why it matters: The meeting in Muscat, which was organized with the help of the Omani government, focused on maintaining a ceasefire between the U.S. and Houthis and guaranteeing that the Bab al-Mandeb Strait stays open, the source said.
- The U.S. is in a delicate position, wanting to keep a vital shipping lane open without getting drawn into Saudi Arabia's battle in Yemen against the Iran-backed Houthis. Washington has so far rejected Saudi requests to get involved militarily.
Driving the news: The source said the U.S. was represented in the meeting by diplomats from the embassy, but the ambassador did not attend.
- The person added that Houthi representatives made clear during the meeting that they wanted the May 2025 ceasefire with the U.S. to continue.
- The source also said that Houthi representatives stressed their attacks were aimed only at Saudi ships as part of the renewed fighting between the two sides. They committed to allow freedom of navigation for all other ships through the Bab al-Mandeb Strait.
- Reuters first reported on the meeting.
What they're saying: "The United States' core interests in the Middle East include ensuring freedom of navigation in the Red Sea and the region, as well as preventing the export of terrorism. The Trump Administration has clearly demonstrated its commitment to defending these interests against aggression from Iran and its proxies," a State Department spokesperson said in a statement.
- "We have no comment on this specific reported meeting," the statement continued. "However, we remain in regular communication with our regional allies and partners regarding Yemen and are focused on our shared counterterrorism goals against the Houthis and other terrorist groups that sow chaos throughout the region."
On Monday, a day after the meeting, Vice President Vance told reporters that the U.S. is negotiating with the Houthis.
- "We've also been engaged in direct conversations with the Houthis themselves, so we actually feel like we are on top of the situation," he said.
Between the lines: Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke on Tuesday with Omani Foreign Minister Sayyid Badr al-Busaidi about efforts to deescalate in the region, the State Department said.
- The call came after weeks of tensions between the U.S. and Oman. President Trump threatened to bomb Oman because of talks it had held with Iran about the Strait of Hormuz.
State of play: The fighting between the Houthis and Saudi Arabia has been escalating in recent days, with the Houthis launching a drone attack toward the holy city of Mecca and firing missiles at other cities in the kingdom.
- The Houthis are still in control of the coastal area and several islands in the Bab al-Mandeb Strait.
- The Saudis have increased their airstrikes against the Houthis in Yemen. But the forces they're backing in Yemen have so far been unable to launch an effective ground counteroffensive.
