US diplomats meet Houthi delegates in Oman as Washington declines direct role in Yemen

Talks in Muscat

United States embassy personnel held unpublicized meetings with Houthi representatives in Muscat over the weekend, coordinated with assistance from the Omani government. The Houthi delegation included senior official Abdelmalik al-Ajiri and sanctioned representative Mohammad Abdulsalam, while the US ambassador did not attend. The discussions took place after Houthi forces gained control over Yemen's western coastline, including the port of Mocha and Perim Island in the Bab el-Mandeb strait. President Donald Trump stated on Saturday that Houthi officials had phoned his administration to request that Washington stay out of the Yemen conflict. Vice President JD Vance confirmed the direct communications on Monday during a press briefing.

We've also been engaged in direct conversations with the Houthis themselves, so we actually feel like we are on top of the situation.

Assurances on commercial navigation

During the Muscat sessions, Houthi delegates told American officials they intend to maintain the bilateral ceasefire agreed upon in May 2025. The militia representatives committed to avoiding strikes against American, Israeli, and international commercial shipping traversing the Bab el-Mandeb strait. They stated that offensive actions would be directed exclusively against Saudi Arabia and vessels transporting Saudi goods. The conflict had escalated again in July 2026 when Houthis instituted a maritime blockade against Saudi ships following a Saudi blockade of Yemeni ports. Former US deputy ambassador to Yemen Nabeel Khoury described the diplomatic understanding between both sides.

The Houthis are promising the American administration that American and international navigation will not be affected in the Red Sea, but the only danger is to Saudi ships or those carrying Saudi oil.

US declines direct Saudi intervention

The diplomatic contacts in Oman took place as the Trump administration formally ruled out direct US military intervention on behalf of Riyadh. Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman had called President Trump seeking military intervention to halt the Houthi offensive. Washington informed Riyadh that American forces would not intervene directly, having previously designated the Houthis a foreign terrorist organization in March 2025 before conducting a two-month air campaign. Saudi Arabia is facing depleted stockpiles of missile interceptors and has requested air-defence assistance from the United Kingdom, France, Pakistan, and Egypt. US Central Command spokesperson Tim Hawkins stated that Washington continues to monitor developments while maintaining its existing military ties with Saudi forces.

Coalition response and regional tensions

Fighting between Houthi forces and the Saudi-led coalition persisted on multiple fronts across Yemen. Coalition aircraft conducted strikes against Houthi outposts and hardware around Mocha, while Yemeni government troops deployed drones in Marib, where Houthi units claimed to shoot down a Saudi F-15 fighter jet. Saudi air defences intercepted a Houthi drone near Mecca at 6:50 PM local time on Tuesday, according to coalition spokesperson Major General Turki al-Maliki. On the diplomatic front, Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke with Omani Foreign Minister Sayyid Badr al-Busaidi on Tuesday to discuss regional de-escalation efforts. Meanwhile, top US diplomat for Yemen Neil Hop conferred with Yemeni Foreign Minister Afrah al-Zouba to reiterate Washington's diplomatic solidarity with Yemen's internationally recognized government.