MUSCAT/RIYADH -UNS :An unannounced meeting between US officials and representatives of Yemen’s Houthi movement in Oman has drawn renewed attention to Washington’s channels of communication with the group, according to five sources familiar with the discussions cited by Reuters.
The meeting reportedly took place in Muscat just days after the Houthis intensified their activities and seized strategic areas near Yemen’s Red Sea coast and the Bab al-Mandab Strait, a vital maritime passage linking the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden.
Three sources said the talks were held inside the US Embassy in Muscat, with the Omani government playing a role in facilitating the meeting. The reported location and arrangements underscore Oman’s continuing role as an intermediary in contacts involving the United States and the Houthis.
According to two sources, Houthi representatives told the US side that they had no intention of targeting American vessels and remained committed to the ceasefire reached in 2025. The sources also said the group pledged not to target Israeli or commercial shipping, although one source said the commitment included an exception concerning vessels affiliated with Saudi Arabia.
The reported discussions come amid heightened sensitivities surrounding maritime security in the Red Sea and the Bab al-Mandab Strait, where attacks and disruptions involving commercial shipping have raised broader regional concerns.
The US State Department did not directly confirm that the meeting had taken place. Instead, it said that safeguarding freedom of navigation in the Red Sea and preventing the spread or export of terrorism from the Middle East remain core US interests.
The reported talks highlight the complex diplomatic landscape surrounding Yemen, in which direct and indirect communication channels have continued despite deep political and security differences between Washington and the Houthi movement.
