US OFFICIALS HELD SECRET TALKS WITH HOUTHIS IN OMAN: REUTERS

Wed 16 September 2026:

Meeting Came Days After Houthis Seized Strategic Red Sea Coast

US officials met representatives of Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthi movement in Oman over the weekend, Reuters reported Wednesday, citing five sources familiar with the discussions.

The previously undisclosed talks took place at the US Embassy in Muscat, according to three of the sources, while two said Oman, a longtime regional mediator, helped arrange the meeting. One source said the talks were held on Sunday.

US embassy personnel represented Washington, while the Houthi delegation included senior officials Mohammad Abdulsalam, who is under US sanctions, and Abdelmalik al-Ajiri, Reuters reported.

The talks came days after the Houthis seized a strategic stretch of Yemen’s Red Sea coastline, including the port of Mocha and Perim Island near the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.

Houthis Say US Ships Are Not Targets

Two sources said the Houthis told US officials they had no intention of attacking American vessels and remained committed to the ceasefire reached with Washington in 2025.

A Yemeni source said the group also told US officials that it would not target Israeli ships or other commercial vessels, with the exception of those belonging to Saudi Arabia.

The US State Department did not confirm the meeting. It said protecting freedom of navigation in the Red Sea and preventing terrorism from spreading from the Middle East remained core US interests.

President Donald Trump said Saturday that the Houthis had contacted his administration and asked Washington to stay out of the Yemen war. Vice President JD Vance said Monday that the United States was in direct contact with the group.

Talks Despite US Terrorist Designation

The Trump administration designated the Houthis a “foreign terrorist organization” in March 2025.

Despite the designation, Washington subsequently negotiated with the group and reached a ceasefire in May 2025 after two months of US strikes aimed at halting Houthi attacks on shipping in the Red Sea.

The latest talks came as the Houthis expanded their control along Yemen’s Red Sea coast, including strategic locations near the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, an important international shipping route.

Fighting With Saudi Arabia Intensifies

Later Wednesday, Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree said the group had attacked an airbase in Khamis Mushait and Aramco facilities in Yanbu. Saudi Arabia did not confirm either claim.

The Houthis have been fighting a Saudi-led coalition for more than a decade after taking control of Yemen’s capital, Sanaa, in 2014.

The conflict had largely eased under a ceasefire before renewed fighting in July, when the Houthis declared a blockade of Saudi shipping in the Red Sea in response to a Saudi blockade of Yemeni ports.

Saudi warplanes have since targeted Houthi positions as the group has advanced along the Red Sea coast and launched attacks toward Saudi territory. Reuters reported that the escalation has created a new challenge for Washington as it seeks to support Saudi Arabia while avoiding direct involvement in another front.

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Riyadh Seeks US Assistance

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman called Trump last week to request US military support as the Houthi offensive intensified, Reuters reported.

Washington told Riyadh it would not directly enter the fighting, according to Reuters, although the United States has provided intelligence and targeting assistance.

The escalation has also added pressure to global energy supplies already affected by the wider Iran conflict and disruptions to shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.

SOURCE: INDEPENDENT PRESS AND NEWS AGENCIES

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