US Officials Hold Direct Talks With Houthis in Oman
American officials met Iran-backed Houthi representatives in Oman over the weekend in a rare direct diplomatic engagement, sources told Reuters.
American officials held direct talks with Iran-backed Houthi representatives in Oman over the weekend, sources familiar with the matter told Reuters, marking a significant and rare diplomatic contact between Washington and the Yemen-based militant group that has disrupted Red Sea shipping for months.
The meeting, conducted on Omani soil — a country that has long served as a neutral back-channel hub for sensitive Middle East negotiations — signals that the United States may be seeking a diplomatic off-ramp to the ongoing Houthi threat to commercial and military vessels in one of the world's most critical maritime corridors.
Read more SEC, CFTC to Push Aggressive Crypto Rules After CLARITY Act Fails →
The Houthis have launched repeated drone and missile attacks against Red Sea shipping since late 2023, citing solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza. The US military has conducted extensive retaliatory strikes against Houthi positions in Yemen, yet the group has demonstrated a persistent capacity to continue its campaign despite the military pressure applied against it.
The decision to engage the Houthis directly — rather than exclusively through intermediaries — represents a notable shift in approach for US officials, who have previously resisted legitimizing the group through face-to-face contact. Oman has historically brokered sensitive communications between Western governments and adversarial actors across the region, including earlier US-Iran nuclear discussions.
The full scope of what was discussed and what, if any, concessions or agreements were reached remains unclear based on currently available information. The talks underscore the complexity of the Gaza conflict's regional spillover effects and Washington's search for stability in a strategically vital waterway. Continue reading at Reuters.
