U.S.-Houthi Meeting... Secret?

Sources told Reuters that a meeting was held between representatives from Washington and the Houthi movement in the Omani capital, Muscat, where the Yemeni group pledged not to attack Israeli or commercial vessels, except Saudi ships.

The sources said American officials met with Houthi representatives inside the U.S. embassy in Muscat over the weekend, adding that the government of Oman organized this secret gathering, which came after the group seized a strategic stretch of the Red Sea coast in a wide-scale offensive that ousted Saudi-backed forces.

A Yemeni source revealed that the armed group informed the U.S. side of its intention not to target American ships and confirmed its commitment to the 2025 ceasefire agreement with Washington. The same source quoted the group as saying it "will not attack Israeli ships or any commercial vessels, except those belonging to Saudi Arabia."

According to the agency, the Houthi delegation included Muhammad Abd al-Salam, a senior official based in Muscat who is under U.S. sanctions, and Abdul Malik al-Aghri. The U.S. side was represented by embassy staff.

Meanwhile, the U.S. Department of State did not confirm the meeting, though its spokesperson stated only that protecting freedom of navigation in the Red Sea and preventing terrorism exports from the Middle East remain core American interests.

Neither Oman’s embassy in Washington nor Houthi official Muhammad Abd al-Salam responded to Reuters’ requests for comment.