Houthis tell US officials they will avoid attacking Israeli vessels
The pledge came during US-Houthi talks held in Oman.
Published
Map: The Red Sea, marking Bab el Mandeb, Medina
The Houthis have told US officials they will avoid attacking Israeli vessels during talks held in Oman.
The assurance follows months of Houthi strikes on commercial shipping in the Red Sea and Bab al-Mandeb corridor, and repeated US-led military responses to them. Vice President Vance has described the conflict as entering what he called a managed phase. Iran's security chief has said broader talks will not proceed until Tehran's demands are met.
The diplomatic move sits alongside continued military activity in the region. The Saudi-led coalition vowed action against the Houthis after intercepting a drone near Mecca and Medina, and Israel has shared navigation intelligence on the Bab al-Mandeb strait with Saudi Arabia as the kingdom faces Houthi advances near it, Kan News has reported. An oil pipeline remains offline after a September attack, and the US is preparing a $2.8 billion weapons package for Israel that includes 20,000 MK-84 bombs, 20,000 BLU-117 bombs and 20,000 I-2000 penetrator warheads, according to AP.
A commitment to avoid Israeli vessels would narrow the conflict's scope and ease immediate escalation risk in a corridor the Houthis have shown they can control. Set against months of attacks on commercial traffic and the military build-up around it, the pledge points to a possible off-ramp, though the group's record on such commitments is untested. It eases one flashpoint without resolving what is driving the wider campaign.