Oman says the brokers will have a ceasefire between Washington and Hootis, and neither side says they will target the other side.
President Donald Trump has announced that the US is abandoning Yemen’s daily bombing campaign based on its understanding of the Houtis as it confirmed that Oman brokered a ceasefire between Washington and an armed group.
“Houthis announced they don’t want to fight any more. They just don’t want to fight. We respect that and stop the bombing,” Trump told White House reporters on Tuesday during a meeting with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Kearney.
Trump has insisted that the Yemeni group, which is lined up in Iran, has “suborded” and has promised not to attack the transport. They launched these attacks in October 2023, saying that the attacks were in favor of the Palestinians.
“I’ll accept their words and we’ll stop the bombing of the Houchys that will be effective immediately,” the US president said.
Omani Foreign Minister Badr Albusaidi said both sides have agreed to a ceasefire.
“Following the recent discussion and contact details that the Omani Sultan was held by the relevant authorities in Sanaa in the Republic of Yemen and the Sultan of Omani, with the aim of de-expansion, the efforts have led to a ceasefire agreement between both sides,” he wrote in a post in X.
“In the future, neither side will target other sides, including American ships in the Red Sea and Bab al-Mandab Straits, ensuring freedom of navigation and smooth flow of international commercial transport.”
Mohammed Ali Al-Houthi, a member of Houthis’ Supreme Political Council, wrote in an X post that “Trump’s announcement of the US attack on Yemen will be first appreciated.”
“Yemeni operations remained supported by Gaza to stop the attack and bring aid,” he added, suggesting that the group would not halt its attack on Israel.
In a report from Washington, D.C., Al Jazeera’s Mike Hanna said the US State Department has made it clear that the agreement is not related to the conflict between Israel and the Houtis.
“The US State Department has made it very clear that this deal is directly related to Operation Houthi on Yemen’s coast, particularly with regard to US shipping,” he said.
The announcement of the ceasefire comes hours after Israeli forces launched an airstrike at Sanaa’s airport, causing catastrophic damage and rendering it inoperable.
Dozens of Israeli fighters also fired several waves of a massive overnight strike at Yemen’s crucial port of Hodeida, which Israel said, after Israel crashed into the borders of Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion International Airport with ballistic missiles.
The US military has launched daily airstrikes in Yemen for almost two months, destroying infrastructure and killing dozens of people, including children and civilians.
Al Jazeera’s Ali Hashem said it was “possible” to help Iran persuade Huuthis to eliminate the attack.
“The Omani are also the leading mediators of the US and Iran, and are now the main mediators between the Houtis and the Americans. It shows that nuclear talks are underway and a framework has been formed to lift sanctions in exchange for nuclear restrictions,” he said.
“It could have helped persuade the Houtis to escalate, especially if it appears to be reflected in Iranian-American talks. It could have been an incentive for nuclear talks to take place more quickly.”