(Representaive image) A Yemeni source also told Reuters that the Houthis would not attack Israeli ships or any commercial vessels, except those belonging to Saudi Arabia.
Reuters has reported that Washington told Riyadh it would not directly intervene. Another source confirmed Abdulsalam’s presence along with another senior Houthi official, Abdelmalik al-Ajiri. Asked about the reported meeting, the US state department did not confirm whether American officials had met the Houthis in Oman, but said that protecting freedom of navigation in the Red Sea and preventing the spread of terrorism from the Middle East were core US interests.
The meeting was held at the US Embassy in Muscat and organised by the longtime regional mediator, Oman, according to sources cited by Reuters news agency. Two sources said the US delegation at Sunday’s meeting was made up of embassy personnel. One source said the Houthi delegation included Mohammad Abdulsalam, a senior official based in Muscat who is under US sanctions.
Saudi Arabia’s de facto ruler, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, called US President Donald Trump last week seeking military support as the Houthis made rapid advances. On Monday, Vice President JD Vance said the US was in direct contact with the group, two days after President Donald Trump revealed that the Houthis had phoned his administration and asked them to keep out of the Yemen war .