Iran-backed Houthi rebels warn against joining Saudi Arabia in Yemen's growing civil war

A senior official with the Iran-backed Houthi movement has issued a strong warning against outside countries joining Saudi Arabia in Yemen's revived civil war. In an interview with The Associated Press, Mohamed al-Bukhaiti, a member of the Houthis' political bureau, stated that his group has given assurances to the Trump administration that it will not attack U.S. vessels operating in the Red Sea.

According to al-Bukhaiti, Washington reached out to the rebels following their rapid military advance down Yemen's western coast to the strategic Bab el-Mandeb Strait earlier in the month. He told the AP that the group confirmed it is not targeting the United States or any other nation in the strait, with the sole exception of Saudi Arabia.

The diplomatic contacts follow comments by U.S. President Donald Trump, who stated last weekend that his administration had engaged in discussions with the Houthis and that the group had indicated a preference to avoid conflict with the United States while allowing most shipping to pass. While the AP reported that Oman hosted a direct meeting between U.S. and Houthi representatives, al-Bukhaiti only confirmed indirect contacts through long-standing mediator Oman, which previously brokered a 2025 ceasefire between the rebels and Washington.

Al-Bukhaiti emphasized that the objective of Houthi military operations is not to close the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, through which roughly 12% of global trade typically passes, but to ensure freedom of navigation for everyone, including Yemen. He asserted that the rebels maintain the capability to wage a multi-front conflict if any other nation chooses to intervene alongside Saudi Arabia.

Renewed violence in the country has effectively shattered a 2022 ceasefire that had largely paused fighting in Yemen's broader civil war. The conflict began when the Houthis swept from their northern stronghold to seize Sanaa and much of northern and central Yemen 12 years ago, prompting a Saudi-led military coalition to intervene the following year on behalf of the internationally recognized government. The war has claimed at least 150,000 lives and pushed the nation to the brink of famine, according to United Nations estimates.

The latest escalation was sparked by an airstrike, blamed on the Saudi-led coalition, that hit the Sanaa international airport and prevented an Iranian flight carrying a Houthi delegation from landing. In response, the Houthis launched missile and drone attacks into Saudi Arabia, including a drone strike targeting Riyadh that was intercepted on Saturday, with falling debris killing one civilian and injuring others. The rebels also declared a blockade on Saudi shipping in the Red Sea and targeted oil infrastructure inside the kingdom.

With Houthi forces seizing the key port city of Mokha and strategic Red Sea islands, al-Bukhaiti argued that the balance of power has shifted in favor of the rebel administration in Sanaa. He stated that Saudi Arabia has lost its most critical strategic asset along the western coast and that attacks against the kingdom will continue until Riyadh lifts its decade-long blockade on rebel-held areas and opens access to Red Sea ports.

Despite the ongoing escalation, high-ranking Houthi figures have signaled that diplomatic solutions remain possible. Mahdi al-Mashat, president of the Houthis' Supreme Political Council, stated in an anniversary speech that the group has not closed the door to peace, though regional analysts note that any durable diplomatic resolution may depend heavily on broader geopolitical talks involving Iran and the United States.