The meeting, which has not been publicly announced, took place at the US embassy in Muscat, according to three of the sources, who spoke to Reuters on condition of anonymity. Two other sources added that the Omani government, which has repeatedly played a mediating role in the region, helped organise the meeting.

The Trump administration designated the Houthis a “foreign terrorist organisation” in March 2025, criminalising the provision of support to the group. Despite this, Washington negotiated with the Houthis in the months that followed, reaching a ceasefire agreement in May last year after two months of US airstrikes aimed at stopping attacks on shipping in the Red Sea.

Donald Trump said on Saturday that the Houthis had contacted his administration, asking the United States not to become involved in the war in Yemen. Vice President JD Vance, for his part, said on Monday that the US was in direct contact with the group, without providing further details.

What the Houthis told the Americans

At the meeting, which according to one source took place on Sunday, the Houthis assured US officials that they did not intend to attack American ships and that they remained committed to the 2025 ceasefire agreement with the United States, according to two sources.

One of the sources, from Yemen, also said that the group stated it would not attack Israeli ships or other commercial vessels, with the exception of those owned by Saudi Arabia.

According to two sources, the US side was represented by officials from the US embassy. One of these sources said that the Houthi delegation included Mohammed Abdulsalam, a senior figure in the group who is based in Muscat and is under US sanctions.

Another source confirmed Abdulsalam’s presence, as well as that of another senior Houthi official, Abdelmalek al-Ajri.

Washington does not confirm the meeting

A State Department spokesperson, asked whether the United States had met with Houthi representatives in Oman, did not confirm that the meeting had taken place. The spokesperson stressed, however, that safeguarding freedom of navigation in the Red Sea and preventing the export of terrorism from the Middle East are key US interests.

Houthis now control the entire Red Sea coastline

The talks in Oman followed the Houthis’ major military advance last week.

The group has effectively gained control of Yemen’s entire Red Sea coastline, capturing, among other areas, the historic port of Mokha and the island of Perim, in the strategically important Bab el-Mandeb Strait.

The strait, also known as the “Gate of Tears”, lies at the entrance to the Red Sea and is one of the world’s most important maritime routes, as a significant portion of commercial traffic between Europe and Asia passes through it.