A ceasefire deal that Oman said it mediated between the United States and Yemen’s Houthis marks a major shift in the Iran-aligned group’s policy since the start of the Israel-Hamas War.
Oman’s Foreign Minister Badr Albusaidi said that the Houthis and the US “will no longer target each other, ensuring freedom of navigation for international commercial shipping in the Red Sea.”
I am pleased to say that efforts have resulted in an end to the conflict between the two sides. https://t.co/hYCcGxVTRk
— Badr Albusaidi – بدر البوسعيدي (@badralbusaidi) May 6, 2025
Oman said that neither side will target the other, including US vessels in the Red Sea and the Bab al-Mandab Strait.
THE ‘CORDELIA MOON’ oil tanker bursts into flames after being hit in a Houthi missile attack off Yemen’s Hodeidah Port last October. (credit: Houthi Military Media/Reuters)
Steve Witkoff, US President Donald Trump’s special envoy to the Middle East, was involved in the talks, a source told The Jerusalem Post.
Reports say Oman has said it mediated a ceasefire deal between Yemen’s Houthis and the U.S.Why this makes sense:Oman is sponsoring the US-Iran talksIt’s in Oman’s interest to end the US-Houthi conflictIt builds confidence that Oman can help pave the way to the Iran deal
Oman’s statement made no mention of the Houthi attacks as they pertain to Israel.
Earlier, Trump announced that the US would stop bombing the Houthis, saying that the group had agreed to stop interrupting important shipping lanes in the Middle East.
The Yemeni group started attacking shipping lanes after the war in Gaza started, saying these actions were in support of Palestinians.
In March, Trump launched Washington’s biggest military operation under his administration against the Houthis, during which hundreds of Yemenis were killed.
