Oman announced that it mediated a ceasefire agreement between the Yemeni Houthis and the United States (U.S.); earlier this information was released by U.S. President Donald Trump.
“Neither side will target the other, including U.S. ships in the Red Sea and the Bab al-Mandab Strait,” stated Oman. The statement does not mention Houthi attacks on Israel.
Earlier, U.S. President Donald Trump announced that the U.S. would stop bombing the Houthis, saying that the group had agreed to stop disrupting key shipping routes in the Middle East.
“They said, please, don’t bomb us anymore and we won’t attack your ships. And I will take their word for it and we will immediately stop bombing the Houthis,” Trump said about the Houthis during a meeting in the Oval Office with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney.
The Yemeni group began attacking shipping routes after Israel attacked Gaza, labeling their attacks as a blockade of Israel and targeting Israeli ships or ships heading to Israeli ports. The Houthis later declared they would attack the United Kingdom (UK) and U.S. ships due to airstrikes on Yemen.
In March, Trump launched the largest military operation by Washington under his administration against the Houthis, during which hundreds of Yemenis were killed.
Israeli officials told Hebrew media that the U.S. had not informed Israel in advance about the statement by U.S. President Donald Trump that the U.S. would immediately halt attacks on the Houthis in Yemen, adding that Israel was surprised by the announcement.
