Oman Acted as Mediator Between U.S. and 'Houthis', As Sana’a Still Defiant

Following President Donald Trump’s unexpected announcement on Tuesday that the United States would end its nearly two-month-long bombing campaign in Yemen, new details have emerged revealing that Oman played a key mediating role in brokering the truce.

Omani Foreign Minister Badr bin Hamad Al Busaidi confirmed the mediation in a statement posted to X (formerly Twitter), stating that discussions between Washington and the Ansar-Allah-led government in Sana’a resulted in both sides agreeing to cease hostilities and ensure the safe passage of international shipping through the Red Sea.

The latest flare-up in the Red Sea began in October 2023, when Yemen’s Ansar-Allah movement—referred to as the “Houthis” by Western governments—began targeting Israeli-linked maritime vessels in response to the war in Gaza. The United States initially launched strikes against Yemen in January 2024 under President Joe Biden. That campaign was paused following a ceasefire in Gaza later that month, to which Ansar-Allah adhered.

However, after Israel resumed blocking humanitarian aid into Gaza in March, Ansar-Allah announced it would renew its blockade on Israeli-linked shipping. The U.S. responded by restarting its bombing campaign on March 15 under Trump’s administration.

The 2 month campaign has led to the lost of at least 2 U.S. F/A-18 fighter jets and numerous MQ-9 Reaper drones and has been characterized by behind the scenes frustrations of the Trump Administration due to the high cost and low success of the operation that ultimately failed to secure the Red Sea shipping lanes by military force or defeat Ansar-Allah.

Despite Trump characterizing the ceasefire as a result of Yemeni “capitulation,” evidence suggests otherwise. The agreement appears to only cover U.S.-Ansar-Allah hostilities. Yemeni officials have indicated that the group will continue its blockade of Israeli shipping and missile strikes on Israel in solidarity with Palestinians.

Following the announcement, Ansar-Allah-aligned President Mahdi al-Mashat released a statement saying, “No aggression will deter us from our just decision to support our brothers in Palestine, until the aggression stops and the siege on Gaza is lifted.”

Just prior to the ceasefire, Israel bombed Sana’a International Airport and other civilian infrastructure in retaliation for a Yemeni missile strike that struck near Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion Airport over the weekend. Israeli media reported that the truce announcement caught Israeli officials off guard, as it does not include any halt to Ansar-Allah’s attacks on Israel—one of the original goals of the U.S.-Israeli military campaign in Yemen.