In a significant diplomatic maneuver that has sent shockwaves through the Arabian Peninsula, the United States has entered into a deal with the Houthi movement — the Iran-backed militia group that has dominated Yemen's political landscape since seizing control of much of the country in 2014. The agreement, details of which remain partially shrouded, reportedly involves arrangements around maritime security and humanitarian access in the Red Sea corridor, a critical waterway through which a substantial portion of global trade and oil shipments pass each year.
The deal has been met with fierce dismay in Saudi Arabia, which viewed itself as the primary regional power broker and a key partner of Washington in containing Iranian influence across the Middle East. Riyadh had invested heavily in a multi-year military campaign in Yemen, beginning in 2015, to restore the internationally recognized Yemeni government and curb what it sees as Iranian expansionism. The Houthi forces — known locally as Ansar Allah — have since become the de facto authorities in large swathes of western Yemen, including the capital Sanaa, with Iranian military and financial backing.
Sources familiar with the negotiations say the US approached the Houthis primarily to secure the free flow of commercial shipping through the Red Sea and the Bab el-Mandeb strait, which saw a dramatic surge in Houthi attacks on merchant vessels starting in late 2023, largely in solidarity with Palestine during the Gaza conflict. Washington, grappling with broader global commitments and domestic pressures, opted for direct engagement rather than prolonged military escalation.
Saudi officials, however, perceive the arrangement as a betrayal of trust. In private diplomatic channels, Riyadh has argued that any dialogue with the Houthis should be coordinated through a unified Gulf framework — one in which Saudi Arabia plays a leading role. By bypassing its key ally, the US has left Saudi Arabia isolated at a moment when the kingdom is also navigating delicate economic and social reforms under Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's Vision 2030 agenda.
Analysts note that the deal could further embolden the Houthis, granting them a level of international recognition they have long sought despite being designated as a terrorist organization by several Western nations. It may also complicate future US-Saudi security cooperation, particularly around defense against drone and missile threats that the Houthis have repeatedly demonstrated their capability to project.
Yemen continues to endure one of the world's worst humanitarian crises, with millions facing famine and displacement. International observers warn that fragmented diplomatic approaches — without a comprehensive political settlement — risk entrenching the very instability that has plagued the region for nearly a decade.
