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A senior Houthi official says the group has assured Washington it will not target US vessels, amid renewed fighting with Saudi Arabia and wider tensions across the Middle East.
Mariyam Adheela
The Houthis' spokesperson threatened all shipping related to Saudi Arabia
Sanaa: Yemen’s Houthis have told the United States they will not attack American vessels in the Red Sea.
A senior Houthi official made the statement as fighting with Saudi Arabia continues and tensions rise across the region. continues fighting Saudi Arabia and tensions rise across the region.
According to the Associated Press, Houthi political bureau member Mohamed al-Bukhaiti said Washington contacted the group following its recent advance along Yemen’s western coast toward the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.
He said the Houthis had confirmed they were not targeting the United States or other countries using the waterway, with the exception of Saudi linked targets.
Reuters separately reported that US and Houthi representatives met in Oman, where the group gave similar assurances about American vessels.
The developments follow a 2025 ceasefire between Washington and the Houthis after US strikes against the group over attacks on Red Sea shipping. The Houthis have since expanded their control along parts of Yemen’s Red Sea coast.
Despite the assurance to Washington, the Houthis have continued attacks against Saudi Arabia. The group said it launched missiles and drones at targets in Riyadh on Saturday, while flames and heavy smoke were reported near the Saudi capital’s airport.
Saudi Arabia has also faced attacks on energy infrastructure, while fighting between Saudi forces and the Houthis has intensified along Yemen’s western coast. Reuters reported that the escalation is creating additional risks for regional oil supplies and shipping through the Red Sea.
The wider conflict has also displaced more than 100,000 Yemenis, according to the International Organization for Migration, with some civilians fleeing across the Bab el-Mandeb by boat.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi is travelling to Qatar before heading to New York for the United Nations General Assembly, as Tehran awaits a US response to conditions it has put forward for ending the conflict.
Iranian officials have said their conditions include an end to fighting on all fronts, the release of Iranian assets seized by the United States and an end to the US naval blockade of Iranian ports. US President Donald Trump has indicated that he remains open to talks with Iran.
Meanwhile, CIA Director John Ratcliffe met Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi in Cairo. Egypt said it supports efforts to resolve the Iranian crisis and ensure freedom of navigation, while also calling for implementation of the second phase of the Gaza ceasefire plan.
In the occupied West Bank, an Israeli man was killed in a shooting near the Neve Tzuf settlement, while Israel’s military said it killed a Palestinian man who attempted to ram soldiers near Jenin. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu subsequently ordered expanded military operations in the territory.
The developments come as regional tensions continue to affect major shipping routes, with the Red Sea and Strait of Hormuz both facing disruptions linked to the wider conflict. Reuters reported that oil flows have remained relatively strong despite the disruption, although risks to regional energy supplies remain.
