Yemen’s Houthi movement has confirmed that its recently brokered ceasefire agreement with the United States does not extend to any military actions involving Israel. The clarification was made by the group’s chief negotiator, Mohammed Abdulsalam, who told Reuters on Wednesday that the deal excludes “any way, shape or form” of operations against Israel. The agreement was mediated by Oman.
The statement came shortly after Israeli airstrikes targeted Sanaa International Airport. According to airport director Khaled al-Shaief, the Israeli attacks caused approximately $500 million in damages, as reported by the Houthi-aligned Al Masirah TV channel.
US President Donald Trump had announced the ceasefire deal a day prior, stating that hostilities against the Houthis in Yemen would cease immediately, following the group’s commitment to halt attacks on shipping in the Red Sea.
Omani Foreign Minister Badr Albusaidi confirmed the terms of the agreement, explaining that it was the result of recent diplomatic discussions aimed at de-escalation. He noted that both sides had agreed not to target each other, in a bid to secure freedom of navigation and maintain the smooth flow of international maritime trade through the Red Sea.
The Houthis have previously targeted Israeli interests and commercial vessels in the Red Sea, declaring their actions as acts of solidarity with Palestinians since the start of the Israel-Gaza conflict in October 2023. While the group had temporarily halted its operations during a short-lived ceasefire in Gaza earlier this year, hostilities resumed after Israel imposed a total blockade on the enclave in March and renewed its military offensive.
Although attacks on shipping had ceased since January, the Houthis had threatened to restart them—prompting near-daily retaliatory strikes by the US military.
Commenting on the ceasefire, President Trump said the Houthis had expressed their unwillingness to continue fighting. “And we will honour that, and we will stop the bombings, and they have capitulated,” he stated. “They say they will not be blowing up ships any more, and that’s… the purpose of what we were doing.”
Despite the ceasefire, Abdulsalam warned that any renewed American aggression would provoke a military response. “If the American enemy resumes its attacks, we will resume our strikes,” he said, adding that the United States’ previous experiences in Yemen served as the “real guarantee” of the deal’s credibility.
Meanwhile, Houthi political leader Mahdi al-Mashat emphasised that attacks on Israel would persist, stating that they would continue “beyond what the Israeli enemy can withstand.”