U.S. Diplomats Meet Houthis in Oman as Red Sea Attacks Threaten Oil Before Midterms
Updated
Updated · ms.now · Sep 18
U.S. Diplomats Meet Houthis in Oman as Red Sea Attacks Threaten Oil Before Midterms
3 articles · Updated · ms.now · Sep 18
Summary
U.S. diplomats met Houthi representatives at the U.S. Embassy in Oman over the weekend to preserve last year’s ceasefire and keep Red Sea shipping moving.
The talks came as the Houthis resumed attacks on international shipping, largely Saudi oil exports, and seized key ports around the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, threatening a backup route to the Strait of Hormuz.
Trump has so far refused to widen the conflict, declining a Saudi request to strike the Houthis and instead pressing Riyadh and other regional partners to take the lead.
That restraint reflects both the 2025 truce—under which the Houthis avoid U.S. targets—and U.S. political and military limits, with officials wary of higher fuel prices and a new campaign before midterm elections.
The episode revives pressure on Trump after the 2025 Signal scandal tied to a 7-week, more than $1 billion anti-Houthi campaign, while raising broader doubts about U.S. security guarantees in the Gulf.