President Donald Trump announced on 6 May that the United States will stop targeting Yemen’s Houthi militants, after pledging a campaign against the group in response to its attacks on commercial shipping and military vessels in the Red Sea.
On 6 May, US President Donald Trump announced that the U.S. would halt airstrikes against the Houthi rebels, citing an agreement in which the Iran-aligned group pledged to stop disrupting vital shipping lanes in the Middle East.
Oman later confirmed it had brokered the ceasefire, marking a significant shift in Houthi policy since the onset of Israel’s war in Gaza in October 2023. Furthermore, in separate statements, Qatar and Kuwait welcomed the deal expressing hope that it would help secure freedom of navigation in the region.
In addition, according to Omani officials the agreement specifies that neither the U.S. nor the Houthis will target each other, including U.S. vessels operating in the Red Sea and the Bab al-Mandab Strait.
“Following recent discussions and contacts conducted by the Sultanate of Oman with the United States and the relevant authorities in Sana’a, in the Republic of Yemen, with the aim of de-escalation, efforts have resulted in a ceasefire agreement between the two sides,” Omani Foreign Minister Badr Albusaidi said on X.
Following recent discussions and contacts conducted by the Sultanate of Oman with the United States and the relevant authorities in Sana’a, in the Republic of Yemen, with the aim of de-escalation, efforts have resulted in a ceasefire agreement between the two sides. In the…
— Badr Albusaidi – بدر البوسعيدي (@badralbusaidi) May 6, 2025
Marco Rubio, United States Secretary of State described the understanding as “an important development.” “This was always a freedom of navigation issue. These are a band of individuals with advanced weaponry that were threatening global shipping, and the job was to get that to stop” Rubio stated.
