A senior member of the Houthi rebels, who are backed by Iran, has warned other countries not to support Saudi Arabia in the ongoing conflict in Yemen. The Houthi official, Mohamed al-Bukhaiti, stated that the rebels have assured the Trump administration they will not attack U.S. ships in the Red Sea. He said that the U.S. reached out to the rebels after they made rapid progress along Yemen's western coast toward the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a vital shipping channel. Al-Bukhaiti emphasized that the rebels are not targeting the U.S. or other nations in the region, except Saudi Arabia. U.S. President Donald Trump mentioned that his administration has had discussions with the Houthi rebels, though he did not give details about the timing or nature of the talks. According to the Associated Press, Oman hosted a meeting between U.S. and Houthi representatives last weekend. Al-Bukhaiti confirmed that the talks were indirect, facilitated through Oman, which had previously helped broker a 2025 ceasefire between the Houthi rebels and the U.S. That ceasefire ended a short U.S. bombing campaign against the rebels in exchange for them stopping attacks on U.S. vessels in the Red Sea. Al-Bukhaiti said the Houthi military operations aim to ensure free passage through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait for all nations, including Yemen. He warned that the rebels are prepared to fight on multiple fronts if any country joins Saudi Arabia in the conflict. He stressed that Yemen is capable of conducting both internal and international warfare. The Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia will continue, he said, until Riyadh ends its decade-long blockade of rebel-held areas and allows ships to reach Houthi-controlled ports on the Red Sea. The Houthi official blamed Saudi Arabia for the recent escalation in violence, which he said began after a Saudi-led coalition airstrike hit Sanaa International Airport, preventing an Iranian flight carrying a Houthi delegation from landing. The flight was part of an effort by the Houthi rebels to challenge the coalition's air and naval blockade. In response, the Houthi rebels launched missile and drone attacks on Saudi Arabia, including one that targeted Riyadh on Saturday but was intercepted. Saudi officials reported that debris from a Houthi drone killed one civilian and injured others. The Houthi rebels then declared a blockade on Saudi shipping in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait and the Red Sea, attacking Saudi-linked vessels and oil facilities within the kingdom, the world's largest oil exporter. The Saudi-led coalition, which has struggled to contain the Houthi rebels, may now be more inclined to seek a diplomatic solution to halt the attacks. This could require U.S. concessions to Iran, the only country with significant influence over the Houthi rebels. However, U.S. negotiations with Iran over their own regional tensions have collapsed. The U.S., which has bombed the Houthi rebels under both the Biden and Trump administrations, has not shown interest in getting involved militarily this time. The rebels believe the balance of power has shifted in their favor, with their recent advances securing control of key areas along Yemen's western coast, which overlooks the critical Red Sea shipping corridor.