Oman helped pave the way for a ceasefire between the US and the Iran-backed Houthis in order to demonstrate its capability in brokering a deal.
Oman’s Foreign Minister Badr Albusaidi wrote online that he was pleased that Oman’s mediation efforts had ended the conflict.
The conflict between the US and the Houthis increased on March 15 when the Trump administration decided to begin wide-ranging airstrikes on the group. The US had been carrying out strikes over the past year and a half as part of an operation called Prosperity Guardian in the Red Sea, aimed at protecting shipping. The Trump administration decided to go a step further.
Oman aimed to help resolve this conflict, as it is a key player in the Iran-US talks that have occurred over the past month. Oman hosted two rounds of these talks. However, there have been some hurdles recently.
The US is demanding that Iran dismantle its nuclear program. Iran is angered, and the foreign minister has criticized Israel, accusing it and pro-Israel voices of sabotaging the talks. Oman has sponsored the talks and wants to show they can succeed. Therefore, it appears that Oman was able to bring the Houthis to an agreement. Oman worked with US envoy Steve Witkoff, who is also key to the Iran talks, the Ukraine and Russia talks, as well as Gaza ceasefire talks and talks in Azerbaijan. Witkoff is the Trump administration’s key problem solver on many issues.
On May 1 Oman had said that the Iran-US talks scheduled for Saturday May 3 were postponed to a later date. On May 4 the Houthis launched a long range missile targeting Israel’s Ben-Gurion airport. Israel had refrained from strikes on Yemen since the US began its attacks on March 15.
Instead, Israel was concentrating on Gaza since renewing operations on March 18. Israel chose to respond to the May 4 attack with strikes on May 5 and then an attack on Sana’a international airport on May 6. Meanwhile, Oman was working to end the US-Houthi conflict.
A ceasefire agreement between the US and Houthis
The Omani foreign minister said, “Following recent discussions and contacts conducted by the Sultanate of Oman with the United States and the relevant authorities in Sana’a, in the Republic of Yemen, with the aim of de-escalation, efforts have resulted in a ceasefire agreement between the two sides. In the future, neither side will target the other, including American vessels, in the Red Sea and Bab al-Mandab Strait, ensuring freedom of navigation and the smooth flow of international commercial shipping. The Sultanate of Oman expresses its gratitude to both parties for their constructive approach that led to this welcome outcome, and hopes that it will lead to further progress on many regional issues towards achieving justice, peace, and prosperity for all.”
He went on to note that he was “pleased to reiterate that today’s news about the situation in the Red Sea means that diplomatic efforts have led to the end of the conflict between the US and Ansar Allah [Houthis] in Yemen. They will no longer target each other, ensuring freedom of navigation for international commercial shipping in the Red Sea. The Sultanate of Oman is grateful to both parties for their constructive approach leading to this welcome outcome, and hopes that it will lead to further progress on many regional issues.”
Oman is attempting to secure a win for the US and the Houthis to demonstrate its capability to broker a deal. Subsequently, it will seek to use this success to build confidence and leverage in facilitating an agreement between Iran and the US. Trump appreciates Oman’s work on this issue. The bombing campaign against the Houthis was not going anywhere. The US had two aircraft carriers in the region; the USS Harry Truman and the USS Carl Vinson.
Trump made the surprise announcement that the US was ending strikes on the Houthis on May 6. This has left Israelis wondering whether the Houthis will stop attacks on Israel. The US has supplied Israel with support and air defenses since the Houthi attacks began.
The US THAAD system is in Israel, for instance. The US also backed the development of Arrow, the main Israeli system being used against the Houthi missile threat. The reason the US intervened in Yemen was because of threats to shipping. Since the early 20th century, the US has sought to guarantee freedom of navigation. Therefore, the US policy was not tethered to Israel, but to historical needs to defend shipping.
The work by Oman has been praised in the region. Qatar put out a statement lauding Oman. Trump is expected to visit the Middle East soon, and Qatar and other countries will be watching closely what he does next. They want a US-Iran deal to reduce tensions in the region.
Oman has an interest in peace in Yemen. It has hosted talks in the past. During the Biden administration’s era from 2020-2024 JUS Special Envoy for Yemen Tim Lenderking had travelled to the region, including to Oman, because Oman was backing talks with the Houthis.
Oman wants peace, it wants an end to attacks on shipping, and it hopes to link this to a potential Iran deal as a building block. Witkoff’s role also illustrates his success at getting a deal. He also played the key role in the hostage deal in January, days before the inauguration, that helped bring home 33 hostages to Israel between January 20 and March 1.
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