US Officials Held Secret Talks with Houthis in Oman, Reuters Reports

MUSCAT | Nazrana Times Ali Imran Chattha 

US officials held a previously undisclosed meeting with representatives of Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthi movement in Oman over the weekend, Reuters reported on Wednesday, citing five sources familiar with the matter.
Three sources said the meeting took place at the US Embassy in Muscat, while two others said Oman helped facilitate the talks.
According to two sources, Houthi representatives told US officials that they had no intention of attacking American vessels and remained committed to the ceasefire reached with Washington in May 2025.
A Yemeni source also said the Houthis indicated that they would not target Israeli or other commercial vessels, while maintaining what the source described as their right to attack Saudi-owned ships.
The Houthi delegation reportedly included senior official Mohammed Abdulsalam, who is under US sanctions, and Abdelmalek al-Ajri. Reuters reported that the US side was represented by embassy officials.
The US State Department did not confirm or deny the reported meeting. It said Washington remained committed to protecting freedom of navigation and countering terrorism in the region.
The reported talks come amid heightened tensions between Saudi Arabia and the Houthis. Reuters reported that Houthi forces have intensified attacks on Saudi targets, while Saudi forces have carried out strikes in Yemen.
The reported meeting in Muscat has not been publicly described by either Washington or Oman as a new formal agreement. The reported assurances attributed to the Houthis therefore remain claims from sources familiar with the talks and do not represent an officially announced settlement.