U.S. officials reportedly held undisclosed talks with Iran-backed Houthi representatives in Oman over the weekend, even as the rebel group notches major battlefield gains against Saudi-backed forces in Yemen.
The alleged meeting took place at the U.S. Embassy in Muscat and was facilitated in part by the Omani government, Reuters reported Wednesday, citing five sources familiar with the matter. The talks suggest Washington is engaging directly with the Houthis even as the Trump administration continues to formally designate the group as a foreign terrorist organization, according to the Federal Register.
Jacob Olidort, director of American Security at the America First Policy Institute, told the Daily Caller News Foundation the timing speaks volumes about Tehran’s strategic thinking. “The significance of the timing of U.S. direct talks with the Houthis has to do with what it says about the Iranian regime’s calculus and the successes of the U.S. efforts to eliminate threats from it to the American people,” Olidort said, noting Iran views the Houthis as a lower-risk way to pressure U.S. interests without relying on more prominent proxies like Hezbollah.
Alex Welz, senior research associate at the Heritage Foundation’s Allison Center for National Security, cautioned against taking Houthi assurances at face value. “The Houthis likely seek to extract some semblance of international legitimacy by proving they can responsibly guard the Bab-el-Mandeb,” Welz said, adding that the group remains a designated terrorist organization and firm Iranian proxy whose commitments should not be trusted.
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman reportedly sought U.S. military assistance from President Trump as the Houthi advance accelerated, but Washington told Riyadh it had no intention of entering the fighting directly, according to Reuters.
Will Todman, senior fellow in the Middle East Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, said the meeting reflects an effort to avoid a wider conflict. “The meeting indicates the Trump administration’s effort to deescalate and prevent the outbreak of a new major front in the conflict with Iran,” Todman said, adding that the Houthis are trying to frame their campaign narrowly around ending Saudi intervention rather than targeting global shipping broadly, and are also trying to deter Trump from joining Saudi operations.
Trump said Saturday that the Houthis had reached out to his administration asking the U.S. to stay out of the renewed Yemen fighting, Reuters reported. Vice President JD Vance confirmed Monday that Washington had held direct talks with the Houthis while remaining in close contact with Saudi Arabia, according to Al Jazeera. Secretary of State Marco Rubio also spoke Tuesday with Omani Foreign Minister Sayyid Badr al-Busaidi, thanking Oman for its role in regional de-escalation while reaffirming U.S. commitment to freedom of navigation.
Houthi officials reportedly told American counterparts they had no intention of attacking U.S. vessels and remained committed to a 2025 ceasefire with Washington, according to Reuters, citing two sources familiar with the discussions. A Yemeni source added the group pledged not to strike Israeli or other commercial vessels, with the exception of Saudi ships.
Senior Houthi official Mohammad Abdulsalam, who is under U.S. sanctions, reportedly attended the talks alongside Abdelmalik al-Ajiri, while embassy personnel represented the American side, Reuters reported.
The State Department would not confirm the meeting took place but stressed that freedom of navigation in the Red Sea and countering terrorism remain core U.S. interests. “The United States reserves the right to protect its national and international interests,” a spokesperson said, adding that support for Israel remains “ironclad” and that Israel has the right to defend itself.
Olidort added that the Houthi assurances may reflect Tehran’s concern over losing a key regional proxy: “If the Houthis are offering these assurances could be interpreted and addressed as part of the regime’s response,” he said, noting the regime’s worry about losing a source of regional instability amid diplomatic isolation.
The State Department declined to comment on any potential arms sales, saying it does not confirm or discuss proposed defense transfers until formally notified to Congress. It noted such sales are evaluated under the Arms Export Control Act and other relevant law.
Welz said the development points to cracks in the anti-Houthi coalition. “This development reflects fractures within the anti-Houthi camp in Yemen as well as the increasing urgency the United States views defusing Red Sea maritime security threats with,” he said.
Steve Hanke, professor of applied economics at Johns Hopkins University, said the administration appears to be cutting its losses. “Now, it looks like the Trump administration is trying to cut its losses and disengage from the long-running regional conflict between Saudi Arabia and the Houthis,” Hanke said. “As long as that remains the case, talks between the Houthis and the U.S. will probably be, as they say, constructive.”
The Trump administration formally designated Ansar Allah, the Houthis’ official name, as a foreign terrorist organization in March 2025, following a January 2025 order accusing Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps-Quds Force of supporting the group. Washington later negotiated a ceasefire with the Houthis in May 2025 after roughly two months of U.S. strikes. The latest talks come as Houthi forces have seized effective control of Yemen’s entire Red Sea coastline, including the port of Mocha and Perim Island in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.
