Saudi Arabia has proposed a two-week ceasefire with Yemen’s Houthis and direct talks with the group’s leadership after the United States refused requests for military support against the Iran-backed group.
The proposal, delivered through Oman, would halt fighting for two weeks while Saudi and Houthi representatives discuss humanitarian measures before attempting to reach a broader settlement.
Lebanon’s Al-Akhbar newspaper reports that the initiative follows Saudi contacts with the United States, Egypt, Pakistan and Oman as Riyadh seeks international assistance in responding to the renewed Houthi offensive.
According to the report, Saudi Arabia wants the ceasefire to allow the two sides to “discuss addressing all humanitarian demands” before seeking to “reach a comprehensive agreement at the end of the truce”.
The proposal has not yet been publicly confirmed by the Saudi government and the Houthis have yet to give a final response.
It comes as the Houthis rapidly expand their control along Yemen’s Red Sea coast, including the capture of the strategic port of Mocha and territory close to the Bab al-Mandab Strait.
Fighting has also spread into Saudi Arabia, with Houthi missiles and drones targeting cities, military installations and energy infrastructure.
Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman sought US military assistance as the offensive intensified, but Washington told Riyadh it would not become directly involved in the fighting.
Instead, the US continues to provide intelligence and targeting assistance to Saudi Arabia while pursuing its own diplomatic channel with the Houthis.
American officials met senior Houthi representatives at the US embassy in Muscat over the weekend in previously undisclosed talks facilitated by Oman.
Nabeel Khoury, a former deputy US ambassador to Yemen, said a “kind of tacit understanding” had emerged between Washington and the Houthis.
Khoury said: “The Houthis are promising the American administration that American and international navigation will not be affected in the Red Sea, but the only danger is to Saudi ships or those carrying Saudi oil.”
The Houthi delegation included Mohammed Abdul Salam, the group’s chief negotiator, and Abdelmalik al-Ajiri, according to Reuters.
The Houthis told US officials that they remain committed to the ceasefire agreed with Washington in 2025 and do not intend to target US vessels.
JD Vance, the US vice-president, has confirmed that Washington is in direct contact with the group.
The Trump administration launched an intensive bombing campaign against Houthi targets last year in response to attacks on Red Sea shipping before reaching a ceasefire with the group in May 2025.
The current arrangement leaves Saudi-linked shipping exposed to Houthi attacks while Washington seeks to keep American vessels outside the renewed conflict.
Riyadh is also turning to regional powers as it attempts to contain the Houthi advance. Pakistan has urged Iran to rein in attacks against Saudi Arabia amid questions over whether Islamabad could become more closely involved under its defence commitments to the kingdom.
Saudi authorities this week issued alerts over possible attacks in Mecca, Jeddah and Taif, while the Houthis have claimed attacks on the King Khalid airbase at Khamis Mushait and Saudi Aramco facilities at Yanbu.
Saudi Arabia also accused the Houthis of launching a drone towards Mecca on Tuesday, saying the aircraft was intercepted near prohibited airspace surrounding the holy city.
The Houthis deny targeting Mecca and accuse Riyadh of fabricating the incident.
Mohammed al-Farah, a member of the Houthi political bureau, said: “The truth is that Saudi Arabia is experiencing a real predicament in Yemen. It became embroiled in a war, a siege and an occupation, and then failed to achieve its goals.
“Today, it is looking for external solutions, so it is begging the international community, warning the world about Bab al-Mandab and requesting support from Pakistan, Turkey, America, Israel and Egypt. Then it is trying to mobilise Muslims with a false pretext called ‘targeting Mecca’.”
Abdul Wahid Abu Ras, the Houthi deputy foreign minister, also rejected the Saudi allegation.
He said: “whoever opened the land of the two holy mosques to debauchery and entertainment parties, and whoever defiled the land of the two holy mosques by the presence of Zionist Jews in it, is the one who targets Mecca, Medina and the Islamic holy sites”.
The reported Saudi proposal initially focuses on humanitarian demands before moving towards negotiations on a wider agreement.
Al-Akhbar reports that the Houthis are seeking a more comprehensive settlement addressing Saudi involvement in Yemen rather than limiting negotiations to humanitarian measures.
Oman has repeatedly acted as an intermediary between Saudi Arabia, the Houthis and the United States and remains central to efforts to secure a political settlement.
The renewed diplomacy comes as the Houthi offensive changes the military balance in Yemen. The capture of Mocha expands the group’s presence along the southern Red Sea coast near the Bab al-Mandab, one of the world’s most important maritime chokepoints.
More than 115,000 people have fled their homes as the fighting intensifies, according to figures reported by Reuters.
The strait is also becoming increasingly important to Saudi Arabia as disruption in the Strait of Hormuz restricts another major route for Gulf energy exports.
