Over the past several weeks, the Omani capital Muscat has witnessed a series of contacts and meetings aimed at containing the escalation in Yemen and the wider region. Among these were direct talks between U.S. officials and representatives of Ansar Allah, commonly known as the Houthis, alongside United Nations efforts aimed at preventing the conflict from expanding.
According to informed sources cited by Reuters, U.S. officials held a meeting with Houthi representatives in Muscat over the weekend preceding September 16, under Omani mediation. The talks focused primarily on maritime security in the Red Sea and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, as well as ensuring that U.S. vessels would not be targeted.
During the meeting, the Houthi side reportedly conveyed assurances that U.S. vessels would not be targeted, as part of understandings between the two sides, amid efforts to prevent a renewed direct confrontation between Washington and the Houthis. Contacts through Omani channels also continued in the following days, although no new comprehensive agreement between the two sides was announced.
In a related development, U.S. President Donald Trump held a phone call with Yemeni Presidential Leadership Council Chairman Rashad al-Alimi, discussing military developments in Yemen and the Houthi advance in strategic areas near the Red Sea. According to sources cited by Reuters, the call did not include a direct U.S. commitment to military intervention against the Houthis.
Separately, Muscat also hosted a meeting between the UN Special Envoy for Yemen, Hans Grundberg, and the Houthis’ chief negotiator, Mohammed Abdul Salam. The two sides discussed ways to reduce tensions and prevent the military confrontation from expanding, amid growing tensions in Yemen and around the Red Sea.
These developments come as the region faces increasing escalation, while Oman continues to play a mediating role and facilitate channels of communication between the various parties, alongside UN-led efforts to keep the political process open.
So far, neither the United States nor the Houthis has announced a new comprehensive U.S.–Houthi agreement. There is also no reliable information indicating that a second round of direct talks between the two sides has taken place following the Muscat meeting revealed on September 16.
The ongoing contacts in Muscat remain part of broader diplomatic efforts aimed at reducing escalation, protecting international maritime navigation, and preventing the confrontation from expanding into a wider regional conflict.
