As Houthis grab Bab al-Mandeb, US appears willing to watch from sidelines
Stretched by its war with Iran, Washington may have little choice but to trust Houthi assurances on shipping.
United States officials met Houthi representatives at the US embassy in the Omani capital, Muscat, over the weekend after the Iran-aligned movement seized thousands of square kilometres of territory in just a few days.
With strategically important islands and large stretches of Yemen’s Red Sea coast now under Houthi control, the group has tightened its grip on the Bab al-Mandeb Strait – a crucial chokepoint for global shipping and energy supplies.
During the talks, the Houthis assured US officials that they had no intention of attacking US shipping in the Red Sea, saying their restrictions would apply only to vessels linked to Saudi Arabia.
“We are already seeing a diversification of security portfolios,” he said. “The Saudis are starting to believe that they cannot rely on the United States all the time, which is why we saw the agreement with Turkey and Pakistan.”