A previously undisclosed meeting between U.S. officials and representatives of Yemen’s Houthi movement in Muscat, Oman, has raised fresh questions about the rapidly changing dynamics of the Yemen conflict and the group’s relationship with Washington.
According to a Reuters report published on September 16, 2026, U.S. officials met Houthi representatives at the U.S. Embassy in Muscat over the weekend. Five sources familiar with the discussions provided information about the meeting, while two said Oman, which has long played a mediating role in regional conflicts, helped facilitate the talks.
The reported discussions are particularly significant because they came at a time of escalating fighting between the Houthis and Saudi-backed forces inside Yemen.
During the meeting, the Houthis reportedly told U.S. representatives that they had no intention of attacking American vessels and remained committed to the ceasefire agreement reached with the United States in May 2025. Two sources cited by Reuters said the group reiterated its commitment to that understanding.
Even more striking was the reported position concerning Israeli and Saudi-linked shipping.
One Yemeni source familiar with the discussions said the Houthis indicated that they would not target Israeli ships or commercial vessels generally, with Saudi vessels being the exception. This suggests that, at least according to the account of the meeting, the Houthis are attempting to distinguish their confrontation with Saudi Arabia from their current relationship with Washington and international maritime traffic.
The development is notable because the Houthis have historically carried out attacks against shipping in the Red Sea and have framed their military actions within the broader regional conflict involving Israel and its allies. However, the latest reported message appears to place immediate emphasis on their confrontation with Saudi Arabia.
The timing is also important.
The reported U.S.-Houthi meeting occurred shortly after the Houthis made major territorial advances along Yemen’s Red Sea coast and against forces backed by Saudi Arabia. The Institute for the Study of War reported that the Houthis had captured key areas along the Red Sea coast, including islands near the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, giving the group greater control over strategically important maritime territory.
At the same time, the Houthis announced attacks against Saudi military and oil infrastructure on September 16, including claimed strikes involving ballistic missiles and drones. These developments underline the extent to which Saudi Arabia has become the immediate focus of the Houthi military campaign.
The reported assurances to Washington therefore create an unusual diplomatic picture: the Houthis appear to be signalling that they do not currently seek a renewed direct confrontation with the United States, while maintaining their military pressure against Saudi Arabia.
Washington, however, has not publicly confirmed the Muscat meeting. A U.S. State Department spokesperson, when asked about the reported discussions, did not confirm that the meeting had taken place, while stressing that protecting freedom of navigation in the Red Sea and preventing terrorism remain core U.S. interests.
The reported talks demonstrate the importance of Oman’s diplomatic role in the region. Muscat has repeatedly served as an intermediary in difficult negotiations involving the United States and regional actors.
For now, the central question is whether the reported Houthi assurances can translate into a sustained reduction in attacks on American, Israeli and other international shipping, while the confrontation with Saudi Arabia continues.
What is clear is that the Yemen conflict is entering another complicated phase—one in which military advances, maritime control and back-channel diplomacy are developing simultaneously.
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