Photo: Collected
Amid tensions surrounding Iran and the recent war situation in Yemen, major diplomatic activity has begun in the Middle East. Against the backdrop of the Iran-aligned Houthi rebels’ recent military advance and their taking of full control of the Red Sea coast, US President Donald Trump is going to sit in an important meeting with leaders of the Gulf region. International diplomatic sources have confirmed that this multilateral meeting may take place next Tuesday on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly session in New York.
Meanwhile, behind the public diplomacy, a closed-door meeting has been held between US officials and Houthi representatives in the Omani capital Muscat. The government of Oman mediated this secret meeting, held at the US embassy in Muscat. At that meeting last weekend, the Houthi delegation was led by the group’s senior leader Mohammed Abdulsalam; another senior leader, Abdelmalik al-Ajri, was also present. In the presence of US embassy officials, the Yemen war and the security of shipping in the Red Sea were the main subjects of discussion.
It has been learnt, citing confidential sources, that at the meeting the Houthi representatives assured the US officials that they have no intention of attacking any US ship and that they are firmly committed to upholding the pledges of the earlier ceasefire agreement with Washington. The Houthis also said they will not attack Israeli or ordinary international commercial ships; however, considering Saudi Arabia’s role in the Yemen crisis, the decision may be different in the case of Saudi ships.
US Vice President JD Vance recently confirmed that Washington has been maintaining direct contact with the Houthis. President Trump has also said the Houthis have sent the US administration a message to stay away from the Yemen war. However, the US State Department did not agree to make any formal comment on the Oman meeting. A spokesperson for the department said that protecting freedom of navigation in the Red Sea and preventing the spread of extremism in the region are Washington’s main priorities.
Recently, the Houthi rebels have established full control over Yemen’s entire Red Sea coast, the strategically important port city of Mokha and Perim island in the Bab al-Mandeb strait. In this situation, although Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman sought direct military assistance from Trump, Washington has made it clear that it is not interested in getting directly involved in the Yemen war. The conflict with the Saudi coalition, ongoing since the Houthis seized Sanaa in 2014, had stalled for a time; but recently, intense fighting has begun there anew with the Houthis’ tough countermeasures in the Red Sea in response to the Saudi blockade.
