Houthis reportedly agree to keep US vessels out of attacks in the Red Sea if Washington avoids direct military action in Yemen.
The reported understanding follows secret US-Houthi talks in Muscat as the group captures Mokha and Mayun near Bab el-Mandeb.
Saudi Arabia is seeking air-defence support as fighting with the Houthis intensifies along Yemen’s Red Sea coast.
Yemen’s Houthis have agreed to allow US shipping unfettered access to the Red Sea if Washington refrains from direct military involvement in the Saudi-led war, according to US reports cited by Al Jazeera, as the group tightens its control over Yemen’s Red Sea coast.
The reported deal follows a secret meeting between US officials and Houthi representatives in Muscat last weekend. Al Jazeera, citing US reports, said the arrangement would allow American vessels to use the Red Sea without Houthi interference while the United States stays out of direct military action against the group.
The talks came as the Houthis advanced along Yemen’s Red Sea coast, capturing the strategic port city of Mokha and Mayun, also known as Perim Island, in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. Reuters reported that the US-Houthi meeting took place in Muscat, with Oman helping facilitate the talks. The reported understanding has not been publicly announced as a formal agreement by either side.
What the US-Houthi understanding involves
Reuters reported that US officials met Houthi representatives in Muscat, where the group reaffirmed its commitment to the ceasefire reached with Washington in May 2025.
According to Reuters, the Houthis told US officials they would not target American or Israeli vessels. A Yemeni source familiar with the talks said the group would also avoid targeting other commercial vessels, with Saudi ships an exception.
The reported assurances to Washington do not cover the wider fighting between the Houthis and Saudi-backed Yemeni government forces. The two sides have continued to exchange attacks as the Houthis advance along the Red Sea coast.
Al Jazeera reported that Washington has continued to back Yemen’s internationally recognised government despite holding direct talks with the Houthis. The US Embassy in Yemen said the United States stood with the Yemeni government and its people against Houthi aggression. A US Central Command spokesman also told Al Jazeera that Washington was monitoring the fighting while maintaining its military relationship with Saudi Arabia.
Houthi advance puts Red Sea route under pressure
The reported talks came after a series of Houthi territorial gains along Yemen’s Red Sea coast.
The Associated Press reported that the Houthis captured Mokha, a strategic port city near the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. The waterway connects the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden and is a major route for international trade. AP reported that the advance has raised concerns over the security of the key shipping route.
The Houthis have also taken control of Mayun, or Perim Island, which sits in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. Al Jazeera reported that the capture gave the group a position close to one of the world's key maritime chokepoints.
Reuters reported that the Houthi offensive has raised concerns about the security of commercial shipping and Saudi energy exports.
The development is significant because the Houthis have previously targeted commercial shipping in the area. Al Jazeera reported that the group had targeted more than 100 commercial vessels between November 2023 and mid-2025. Some of the vessels targeted appeared to have no clear links to either Saudi Arabia or Israel, according to shipping sources cited in the report.
Saudi Arabia faces renewed Houthi attacks
The Houthi advance has also brought renewed fighting with Saudi-backed forces and increased pressure on Saudi Arabia.
The Associated Press reported that fighting intensified along Yemen’s Red Sea coast, with Yemeni government forces attacking Houthi positions while the Houthis launched attacks towards Saudi Arabia. The escalation followed the capture of Mokha and the Houthi advance towards the Bab el-Mandeb area.
Reuters reported that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman had sought US military support as the Houthis advanced. Washington told Riyadh it would not become directly involved, according to the report.
Washington has maintained its military relationship with Saudi Arabia while ruling out direct US military intervention against the Houthis, according to Al Jazeera.
What the reported arrangement means for shipping
The reported understanding is particularly relevant to shipping companies because the Red Sea has already experienced major disruption from Houthi attacks.
Commercial vessels have previously been diverted away from the Red Sea and around the Cape of Good Hope to avoid attacks, adding time and cost to journeys between Asia and Europe. Reuters has reported that the Houthi advance towards Bab el-Mandeb has renewed concerns about the future of shipping through the route.
The reported assurances to Washington are narrower than a blanket guarantee for commercial shipping. Reuters reported that the Houthis had assured US officials they would not target American or Israeli vessels, while a source familiar with the talks said Saudi-owned vessels could remain targets.
The humanitarian situation is also deteriorating as fighting continues. AP reported that more than 125,000 people, including about 57,000 children, have been displaced by the renewed fighting along the Red Sea coast.
