Reuters: US holds talks with Houthis

US representatives held talks with representatives of the Yemeni Ansar Allah (Houthi) movement in Oman. The meeting took place against the background of a large-scale offensive of the armed formation on the coast of the Red Sea. About it reports Reuters, citing five sources familiar with the situation.

The meeting took place on September 13 at the U.S. Embassy in Muscat, and the government of Oman acted as a mediator in organizing it. The Houthis said during the talks that they did not intend to attack American ships and are committed to a ceasefire agreement with the United States. The group also said it would not attack Israeli and other merchant ships other than those belonging to Saudi Arabia, according to a Reuters source.

According to sources, the Houthi delegation included the head of the negotiating group Mohammed Abdel-Salam and the leader of the movement Abdel Malik al-Houthi. The American side was represented by the embassy staff. A U.S. State Department spokesman did not confirm the meeting, but said ensuring freedom of navigation in the Red Sea and preventing the spread of terrorism were key U.S. interests.

On September 14, the Houthis took control of the Hanish archipelago in the southern Red Sea, near the entrance to the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. The sea route connects the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden and serves as the southern gateway to the Suez Canal. This is the shortest route for shipments from Asia to Europe.