US Officials Hold Secret Meeting With Houthi Representatives in Oman Over Weekend as Iran-Backed Group Consolidates Red Sea Territorial Gains

US officials met representatives of Yemen's Houthis in Oman over the weekend, five sources familiar with the matter told Reuters, days after the Iran-backed militia seized a strategic stretch of the Red Sea coast in a sweeping offensive that routed Saudi-backed forces. The meeting, which has not been made public, was held at the US Embassy in Muscat, with Oman's government helping organize it, according to three sources who spoke on condition of anonymity. During the meeting, the Houthis told American officials they had no intention of striking US vessels and remained committed to the 2025 ceasefire, two sources said. One Yemeni source added that the militia also pledged not to target Israeli or other commercial ships, with the exception of vessels belonging to Saudi Arabia. Two sources identified senior Houthi official Mohammad Abdulsalam, who is based in Muscat and under US sanctions, as part of the delegation, with another source confirming his presence alongside a second senior Houthi figure, Abdelmalik al-Ajiri. Two sources said embassy staff represented the American side. The contact comes despite the Trump administration designating the Houthis a foreign terrorist organization in March 2025, criminalizing support for the group. The meeting took place as Saudi Arabia's de facto ruler Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman called Trump last week seeking US military support amid the Houthi advances. Reuters reported that Washington told Riyadh it would not get directly involved. A State Department spokesperson declined to confirm the reported meeting directly but said protecting freedom of navigation in the Red Sea and preventing the export of terrorism from the Middle East were core US interests. Vice President JD Vance told reporters Monday that Washington had its own direct line to the Houthis, though he declined to give specifics. Two days earlier, Trump said the group itself reached out asking the US not to get involved in the war. The Houthis, who seized Yemen'