US officials held undisclosed talks with Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi representatives at the US Embassy in Muscat, Oman, over the weekend, mediated by the Omani government, five sources familiar with the matter said. 

The meeting followed a major Houthi offensive that seized key Red Sea coastal territory from Saudi-backed forces. Despite designating the Houthis as a foreign terrorist organisation in March 2025, the Trump administration has maintained direct contact.