Houthi Ceasefire Mediated by Oman; U.S. Bombing in Yemen to Stop – President Donald Trump

Houthi Ceasefire Mediated by Oman; U.S. Bombing in Yemen to Stop – President Donald Trump

President Donald Trump has announced that the United States is halting its daily airstrikes in Yemen based on an understanding reached with the Houthi rebels. Meanwhile, Oman has confirmed that it mediated a ceasefire agreement between the U.S. and the Houthis.

Speaking to reporters at the White House on Tuesday during a meeting with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, Trump said, "The Houthis have informed us that they no longer want to fight. They don’t want war anymore, and we will respect that and stop the bombings." He claimed that the Iran-backed Yemeni group had "surrendered" and pledged to stop attacks on shipping. Notably, the Houthis began their attacks in October 2023 in solidarity with the war in Gaza.

“I believe their word, and we will immediately halt the bombings on the Houthis,” said the U.S. President.

Omani Foreign Minister Badr Albusaidi posted on X that “Recently, Oman conducted peaceful negotiations with the United States and the relevant authorities in Sana’a, Yemen, resulting in a ceasefire agreement between the two parties.”
He added, “In the future, neither side will target the other, including American ships. This will ensure free navigation and the continuity of commercial shipping in the Red Sea and Bab al-Mandab Strait.”

Mohammed Ali al-Houthi, a member of the Houthis’ Supreme Political Council, wrote on X, “Trump’s announcement to end U.S. aggression will be evaluated based on its actual implementation on the ground.”
He further stated, “The Yemeni operations were and will continue in response to the aggression in Gaza and to allow aid into the area,” indicating the Houthis may not halt attacks on Israel.

Al Jazeera’s Mike Hanna, reporting from Washington, D.C., said that the U.S. State Department clarified the ceasefire deal has no relation to the ongoing Houthi-Israel conflict.
He said, “The State Department made it clear that this agreement is specifically tied to Houthi coastal operations, particularly concerning American shipping.”

Just hours before the ceasefire announcement, Israeli military forces bombed Sana’a airport, rendering it completely inoperable.

Israeli warplanes also carried out multiple large-scale airstrikes on the port of Hodeidah. Israel claimed the strikes were retaliation after the Houthis launched a ballistic missile near Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion International Airport.

For the past two months, the United States had been carrying out daily airstrikes across Yemen, destroying significant infrastructure and resulting in the deaths of many civilians and children.

Al Jazeera’s Ali Hassan said it is “possible” that Iran played a role in convincing the Houthis to scale back attacks.
He added, “Oman has served as the primary mediator between the U.S. and Iran, and now also between the Houthis and the U.S. There are also signs that nuclear talks are progressing, with a potential framework being formed to limit Iran’s nuclear program in exchange for sanction relief.”

“Perhaps Iran encouraged the Houthis to stay calm to help move the nuclear negotiations with the U.S. forward more quickly.”