Senior US diplomat going to Saudi Arabia, Oman to talk Houthi attacks in Red Sea

US Special Envoy for Yemen Tim Lenderking is going to Saudi Arabia and Oman this week to discuss the need for an immediate cessation of Houthi attacks in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, the State Department said on Monday.

Lenderking is set to meet with regional counterparts to discuss steps to de-escalate the current situation and renew focus on securing a durable peace for the Yemeni people.

The Iran-backed Houthis began targeting ships in the Red Sea in November last year in what they say was a show of solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza.

The State Department said the Houthi attacks were undermining progress on the Yemen peace process and the delivery of humanitarian aid to Yemen and other countries in need. “The United States remains firmly committed to supporting a durable peace in Yemen and alleviating the complex humanitarian and economic crises harming the Yemeni people,” the State Department said, adding that Washington supports a return to UN-led peace efforts once the Houthis stop their “indiscriminate attacks.”

US officials have previously said that they will continue military strikes against the Yemeni group until they halt their attacks. The Houthis have said they will not stop unless a ceasefire is reached in Gaza.

The Houthis struck a US-owned bulk carrier in recent months, which later sank, damaging underwater internet cables in the Red Sea, according to US officials.

Another Houthi strike last month killed at least three civilian sailors onboard a merchant ship. The Houthis claimed responsibility for the attack on the Greek-owned, Barbados-flagged ship True Confidence. Other sailors were wounded in the attack.