Saudi Arabia reaches out to Houthis through Oman for ceasefire, direct negotiations - report

SEPTEMBER 18, 2026 10:24Updated: SEPTEMBER 18, 2026 10:26Saudi Arabia has conveyed through the Sultanate of Oman a new proposal to the Houthis in Yemen, including a two-week ceasefire and the opening of direct talks between Riyadh and the Houthi leadership.According to the Lebanese newspaper Al Akhbar, which is affiliated with Hezbollah, the aim is first to discuss the Houthis' humanitarian demands and then attempt to reach a comprehensive agreement by the end of the ceasefire period.According to sources who spoke with the Lebanese newspaper, the proposal was formulated after a series of contacts Saudi Arabia held in recent days with the United States, Egypt, Pakistan, and the Sultanate of Oman.The sources claimed that Riyadh sought to convey a message to the Houthis that it was interested in using the period of calm to "discuss addressing all humanitarian demands," and afterward "reach a comprehensive agreement at the end of the truce."Oman, which has played a central mediating role between Saudi Arabia and the Houthis in recent years, was asked to deliver the proposal to Sanaa.Men gesture in a screen grab from a video released September 11, 2026 and said to show Khaled bin Walid camp after Houthis captured the city of Mocha in Taiz Province. (credit: Al-Masirah TV/Handout via REUTERS)Houthis escalate, seize areas around Red Sea coastThe report comes amid a sharp escalation in fighting in Yemen and rising tensions between the Houthis and Saudi Arabia. In recent weeks, Houthi forces have seized strategic areas along the Red Sea coast, while also carrying out attacks with missiles and unmanned aerial vehicles against targets inside Saudi Arabia.Riyadh has accused the Houthis of attacking civilian and economic facilities in Abha, Khamis Mushait, Jizan, and Najran, as well as threatening commercial shipping in the Red Sea. In an official statement issued by Saudi Arabia last week, it was claimed that 73 civilians, including women and children, were injured in one of the waves of attacks.US secretly holds talks with HouthisAt the same time as the Saudi contacts, secret talks were held over the weekend in Oman between US representatives and senior Houthi officials.According to a Reuters report, the meeting took place at the US Embassy in Muscat with the assistance of the Omani government. The Houthis told the Americans that they intended to continue honoring the ceasefire reached with Washington in 2025 and that they did not intend to attack US vessels.The Saudi move reflects an attempt to shift from a military channel to a diplomatic one as the fighting takes an increasing toll and also threatens regional trade and energy routes. According to Al Akhbar, Sanaa has not yet provided a final response to the proposal, and the Houthis continue to demand a comprehensive settlement that includes an end to the war, the lifting of the blockade, and addressing humanitarian demands. At this stage, Saudi Arabia has also not officially confirmed the details of the proposal published by the Lebanese newspaper.Follow us on Google