Oman Mediates Talks with Houthis to Halt Ship Attacks in the Red Sea

by Ahmed Tolba (Reuters) Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthi movement has engaged in Oman-mediated talks with “international parties” about its operations in the Red Sea and Arabian Sea, a Houthi spokesman said on Saturday, following a series of attacks on ships by the militia group.

The statement didn’t identify the international parties involved in the talks and didn’t say where they took place or when, but may indicate the Houthis could be willing to deescalate.

The Houthis stressed in the Oman-mediated talks that their position was not subject to negotiation until Israel stops its “aggression” against Gaza and allows humanitarian aid to enter, said Mohamed Abdel-Salam, the Houthi spokesman.

However Abdel-Salam also said that “any real steps” addressing the humanitarian crisis in Gaza by bringing in food and medicine “would contribute to reducing the escalation.”

The Houthis have launched attacks against vessels sailing the Red Sea and Arabian Sea in protest of Israel’s bombardment and invasion of Gaza that has killed almost 19,000 Palestinians.

“We have emphasized to everyone that (the Houthis’) operations are to support the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip, and that we cannot stand idly by in the face of the aggression and siege,” Abdel-Salam said in a statement.

The Houthi attacks have led to some shipping companies halting operations through the Red Sea, a vital waterway for global commerce and energy shipped between Europe and Asia.

Reporting by Ahmed Tolba; Writing by Hatem Maher and Alexander Cornwell; Editing by Andrew Heavens and David Holmes, Reuters

(c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2023.

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