A senior Houthi official has warned countries against joining Saudi Arabia in Yemen’s renewed conflict, while saying the Iran-backed group has assured the Trump administration that it will not target US vessels in the Red Sea.
Mohamed al-Bukhaiti, a member of the Houthis’ political bureau, told The Associated Press that the group had been in indirect contact with US officials through Oman following its recent advance along Yemen’s western coast.
Al-Bukhaiti said the Houthis are not targeting the United States or other countries in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, with Saudi Arabia the exception. US President Donald Trump has also confirmed that Washington has held discussions with the rebels.
The Houthi official said the group’s military operations were not aimed at closing the Bab el-Mandeb, but at ensuring freedom of navigation for all vessels, including those linked to Yemen.
He warned that the Houthis could fight on several fronts if other countries joined Saudi Arabia in military operations against Yemen. He said attacks on Saudi Arabia would continue until Riyadh ends its blockade of Houthi-held areas and allows vessels to reach ports under rebel control.
The latest escalation followed an airstrike blamed on the Saudi-led coalition that hit Sanaa International Airport and prevented an Iranian aircraft carrying a Houthi delegation from landing, according to al-Bukhaiti. The Houthis later launched missile and drone attacks against Saudi Arabia.
Saudi authorities said debris from a Houthi drone killed one civilian and injured others. The Houthis have also declared restrictions on Saudi-linked shipping in the Bab el-Mandeb and Red Sea and attacked targets inside Saudi Arabia.
The Houthis have strengthened their position along Yemen’s western coast, capturing the port city of Mokha and key Red Sea islands overlooking the Bab el-Mandeb, a major global shipping route through which around 12% of world trade normally passes.
The latest escalation has effectively ended a ceasefire that had largely halted fighting since 2022. The Yemeni civil war has killed at least 150,000 people, according to UN estimates, and pushed the country toward famine. Al-Bukhaiti said the recent gains had shifted the balance of power in favor of the Houthi authorities in Sanaa.
