Houthis tighten grip on Bab al-Mandeb as US officials hold talks in Muscat

United States officials have met Houthi representatives in the Omani capital, Muscat, after the group seized thousands of square kilometres of territory in Yemen and tightened its control over the Bab al-Mandeb Strait. The talks took place over the weekend at the US embassy in Muscat, according to the supplied material. The development raises fresh concern over one of the world's most important maritime chokepoints.

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The Bab al-Mandeb Strait links the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden and is a key route for global shipping and energy supplies. The supplied report says the Houthis now control strategically important islands and large stretches of Yemen's Red Sea coast, giving them greater leverage over traffic through the strait. During the discussions, the group reportedly assured US officials that it had no intention of attacking US shipping in the Red Sea.

The Houthis said any restrictions would apply only to vessels linked to Saudi Arabia, but the report warns that this would still leave two major shipping routes facing serious disruption. It also notes that traffic through the Strait of Hormuz has already been restricted for the past six months. The article says any further disruption could push global oil and consumer prices higher.

The timing matters because the situation comes amid wider regional strain and limited US appetite for another military front in Yemen. The report says Washington is stretched by its war with Iran and may be relying on Houthi assurances rather than joining another conflict. It also says US military resources are reportedly depleted, while domestic opposition to the Iran war has grown.

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The Houthis are described in the supplied material as an Iran-aligned movement with a history of attacking commercial vessels and deep ideological opposition to the United States. That background is central to why their assurances are being treated cautiously by some experts. At the same time, the report suggests Washington may have little choice but to take the group at its word, at least for now.

The diplomatic contacts also appear to be linked to Saudi concerns. The supplied article says Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman called Donald Trump twice last week, urging strikes against the Houthis, but the US president refused. It adds that Admiral Brad Cooper, the commander of US Central Command, later travelled to Riyadh for urgent coordination talks with the crown prince.

Those contacts suggest the United States is trying to support Saudi Arabia while avoiding direct military involvement in Yemen. The report says Trump described the crown prince as a "good friend" and said "everything will work out very well," but did not offer a specific military commitment. That leaves the strategic picture uncertain, especially as the Houthis consolidate control over territory near a vital shipping lane.

What remains unclear is how durable the Houthi assurances will be and whether shipping through the Red Sea will face further disruption. It is also not clear whether the Muscat talks will lead to any formal arrangement or whether the situation will escalate if commercial vessels are targeted. For now, the main issue is whether diplomacy can reduce the risk to global trade before the chokepoint becomes more unstable.

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