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Houthis Pledge Not to Attack U.S. Vessels, Officials Say

By Drooid · Sep 16, 2026, 4:41 PM UTC · How we work

Summary

Houthis Pledge Restraint

U.S. officials met Houthi representatives at the U.S. Embassy in Muscat, Oman, on Sunday.
The Houthi team, including sanctioned Mohammad Abdulsalam and Abdelmalik al-Ajiri, pledged not to attack U.S. vessels.
The Houthis also said they will not target Israeli or other commercial ships, except those owned by Saudi Arabia.
Vice President JD Vance said Washington is in direct contact with the Houthis and monitoring the situation.

Summary

Yemenis Flee Conflict

Humanitarian agencies report roughly 94,000 Yemenis displaced since the renewed Houthi offensive began.
The International Organization for Migration estimates 82,000 people fled Yemen in the first month of the escalation.
Thirteen civilians were wounded by Houthi missile strikes on Saudi airbases, according to Saudi coalition sources.
Djibouti has received over 2,000 Yemeni refugees crossing the Bab al-Mandeb Strait in recent days.

History

Historical Context

In March 2015 Saudi Arabia sent roughly 150,000 troops and 100 fighter jets to begin a coalition air campaign against Yemen’s Houthi rebels, reflecting its rivalry with Iran and U.S. arms support. By 2024 the force fell to about 2,500 troops. U.S. talks with Houthi envoys in Muscat now revisit the same diplomatic push to limit the war and aid civilians.

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Houthis Pledge Restraint

U.S. officials met Houthi representatives at the U.S. Embassy in Muscat, Oman, on Sunday.
The Houthi team, including sanctioned Mohammad Abdulsalam and Abdelmalik al-Ajiri, pledged not to attack U.S. vessels.
The Houthis also said they will not target Israeli or other commercial ships, except those owned by Saudi Arabia.
Vice President JD Vance said Washington is in direct contact with the Houthis and monitoring the situation.

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