Saudi Arabia has reportedly asked Oman to broker a two-week ceasefire with Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthis, as fighting between the two sides escalates, with Washington signalling that it won’t intervene militarily on Riyadh’s behalf. Saudi Arabia has so far seemed reluctant to unleash a major military campaign against the Houthis, wary of bringing greater Houthi attacks on its oil infrastructure and being dragged back into an all-out civil war in Yemen, its southern neighbour. But as Houthi attacks continue, the kingdom faces a potential decision about whether to step up its military response or seek a diplomatic solution.
According to a report by Lebanese newspaper Al Akhbar, Saudi Arabia has conveyed a new proposal to Houthis through the Sultanate of Oman. The proposal calls for a two-week ceasefire and the opening of direct talks between Riyadh and the Houthi leadership. The proposal was reportedly formulated after a series of contacts Saudi Arabia held in recent days with the United States, Egypt, Pakistan, and Oman.
According to the report, the aim is to first discuss the Houthis’ humanitarian demands and then attempt to reach a comprehensive agreement by the end of the ceasefire period.
Houthi-Saudi Conflict Escalates as Houthis Push Toward Bab-el-Mandeb
Saudi Arabia, the world’s biggest oil exporter, has relied on the Bab-el-Mandeb strait ever since Iran’s blockade of the Strait of Hormuz choked off its shipments via the Gulf.
The spread of the war to Yemen and Saudi Arabia has raised new concerns about oil supplies by jeopardising the main alternative Red Sea route for Gulf exports, while traffic through the Strait of Hormuz remains constrained amid US-Iran tensions.
MBS’ Back-to-Back Meeting After Trump’s Snub
As Riyadh has been on its own in confronting the Iran-backed group, Crown Prince Mohammed nin Salman met Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi in Cairo and the leaders “shared commitment to ensuring freedom and security of maritime navigation” in the Red Sea and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.
While Egypt is unlikely to offer military help to Saudi Arabia, it could help rally support given its influence in the Arab world.
Earlier, MBS met United States Central Command chief Admiral Brad Cooper. The meeting days after US President Donald Trump rebuffed pleas from the Saudis for military support to fight the Houthis, who agreed to a ceasefire with the United States last year after Washington bombed the group for two months. The US president also said that he had spoken with MBS, whom he described as a “good friend.” He added that “everything’s gonna work out fine” in the region. Trump, however, said that he is all set to make a “big decision”.
