Intense Fighting Escalates in Yemen as US Holds Direct Talks with Houthi Representatives

The United States reiterated its backing for Yemen’s internationally recognised government on Wednesday as combat intensified between the Saudi-led coalition and Houthi forces. Meanwhile, US officials conducted direct discussions with Houthi representatives in Oman over the previous weekend, according to sources cited by Reuters.

Yemeni government forces reported that the coalition had struck Houthi positions surrounding Mocha, while government troops executed drone attacks in Marib. Concurrently, the Houthis claimed responsibility for shooting down a Saudi F-15 fighter jet over Marib.

Saudi Arabia is currently facing a shortage of missile interceptors and has appealed to regional and Western allies for assistance, two officials told The Associated Press. The Saudi government requested France, Pakistan, Egypt, and the United Kingdom to deploy air-defence support to help counter attacks launched by the Houthis. One official noted that Saudi Arabia’s primary ally and arms supplier, the US, has experienced a depletion of its own interceptor stockpiles throughout the course of the conflict with Iran.

US Central Command (CENTCOM) spokesman Tim Hawkins informed Al Jazeera that the US is actively monitoring the situation between the Houthis and the Saudi-backed government in Yemen. He added that the US military maintains a longstanding military relationship with Saudi partners, which continues to manifest today.

Despite assisting the Saudi campaign, American officials met directly with Houthi representatives in Oman last weekend, according to three sources who spoke to Reuters on condition of anonymity. The gathering took place at the US embassy in Muscat, facilitated by the Omani government, two of the sources stated.

During the Muscat discussions, the Houthis assured US officials that they harbor no intentions of attacking US vessels and remain dedicated to the 2025 ceasefire with the US, the sources reported to Reuters. Concurrently, the top US diplomat for Yemen, Neil Hop, informed Yemen’s Foreign Minister Afrah al-Zouba that the US maintains its strong support for Yemen’s internationally recognised government, as reported by the US embassy in Yemen.

The Yemeni government's army stated that the Saudi-led coalition targeted Houthi outposts and equipment near the southwestern port city of Mocha. In a separate social media update, the government army also announced drone strikes directed at Houthi forces in the northern Marib governorate.

On Wednesday evening, Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree stated that Saudi warplanes executed 40 airstrikes targeting the provinces of Taiz, Marib, and Hodeidah over the preceding 24 hours. In retaliation, the Houthis targeted the Khamis Mushait airbase and an oil facility situated in the Saudi Red Sea port city of Yanbu, the group declared in an official statement. Additionally, the Houthis claimed to have downed a Saudi fighter jet utilizing a locally made surface-to-air missile over the central province of Marib. Al Jazeera’s Yemen correspondent Yousef Mawry reported that the destruction of Saudi fighter jets could signal a potential shift in the balance of power, given Saudi Arabia's heavy reliance on airstrikes against Houthi positions across various provinces.