WASHINGTON, DC - US State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce told Rudaw on Tuesday that while the United States has agreed to “honor” the Houthis’ declared intent to halt attacks on Red Sea shipping, the ceasefire with the Iran-aligned group should not be conflated with ongoing diplomatic engagement between Washington and Tehran regarding Iran’s nuclear program.
“The Houthis have capitulated following the [US] administration’s strikes,” Bruce stated, reiterating US President Donald Trump’s remarks that “the Houthis have announced that they don’t want to fight anymore… and we want to honor that and we will stop the bombing. They say that they will not be blowing up ships anymore.”
Bruce cited US Secretary of State Marco Rubio as stating that “this issue [with the Houthis] 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, and if it is going to stop, then we can stop.”
When asked whether the ceasefire also includes a cessation of hostilities between the Houthis and Israel, Bruce clarified that the agreement only applies to the Red Sea.
The Houthis, formally known as the Ansarullah Movement, are a central part of the Iran-led "Axis of Resistance."
The US has conducted more than 1,000 airstrikes against the Yemeni group since early March in response to their repeated attacks on commercial vessels in the Red Sea.
Since the start of the Israel-Hamas War in October 2023, the Houthis began targeting what they say are “Israeli commercial vessels or vessels affiliated with Israel.” They claim the effort is geared to alleviate pressure on their Palestinian allies in Gaza.
Bruce’s remarks followed an announcement by Omani Foreign Minister Badr Albusaidi on X that Muscat had mediated “an end to the conflict” between the US and the Houthis.
“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,” Foreign Minister Albusaidi stated.
The Omani foreign minister added that “in the future, neither side will target the other, including American vessels, in the Red Sea and Bab al-Mandab Strait, ensuring freedom of navigation and the smooth flow of international commercial shipping.”
Oman has also been mediating indirect talks between the US and Iran over Tehran’s nuclear program since April 17.
Answering a question by Rudaw about whether the ceasefire with the Houthis is linked to Washington’s ongoing engagement with Tehran, the US State Department spokesperson responded that while “we have news every day; fortunately, much good news… it is important to not conflate them.”
In a follow-up question Rudaw asked about whether or not a new round of talks between American and Iranian negotiators will be held in coming days, Bruce said, “I cannot confirm what will occur,” further pointing to her remarks on the topic “last week.”
In her previous briefing on Thursday, the US State Department spokesperson had noted that “the United States was never confirmed to be participating in a fourth round of talks with Iran, which people had believed were Saturday in Rome, despite what – there had been some reports. The timing and the venue had yet to be confirmed.”
She then added, “We expect another round of talks will take place in the near future.”
Axios recently reported that US and Iranian negotiators are expected to meet on May 10–11 for the next round of discussions.
