Houthis Clarify Ceasefire with U.S. Excludes Israel: Red Sea Shipping Threats May Persist
Despite U.S.-Brokered Pause, Houthi Leader Confirms Attacks Linked to Israel Will Continue Amid Ongoing Regional Tensions.
Watan-Yemen’s Houthi group announced on Wednesday that its ceasefire agreement with the United States does not include operations against Israel, signaling that attacks on ships—which have disrupted global trade—may not come to a complete halt.
Former U.S. President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that the United States would stop targeting the Iran-aligned Houthis in Yemen, claiming that the group had agreed to cease obstructing major shipping routes in the Middle East.
Following Trump’s statement, Oman declared that it had mediated the agreement to stop attacks on American vessels.
There have been no reported Houthi attacks on ships in the Red Sea since January.
However, Houthi chief negotiator Mohammed Abdul Salam stated on Wednesday: “The agreement does not include Israel in any form… What has occurred was with the Americans, mediated by Oman. The pause applies only to attacks on U.S. ships… As long as they cease operations and genuinely commit to it, our stance will remain defensive, and retaliation will stop.”
