U.S. officials met with representatives of the Houthis—an Iran-backed Yemeni militant group—over the weekend in Oman, Reuters reported on Wednesday. During the meeting, the Houthis agreed not to attack American or Israeli vessels in the Red Sea but said they’d continue to attack ships belonging to Saudi Arabia. The State Department has not confirmed any meetings took place.
Last week the Houthis seized control of Yemen’s Red Sea coastline, and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman urged President Donald Trump to join Riyadh’s military operations against the group.
The Houthis on Wednesday claimed new strikes on Saudi Arabia. A military spokesperson said the group had launched missiles and drones at the oil facilities of the state-owned energy company Aramco. On Tuesday Saudi Arabia intercepted a Houthi drone that appeared to be targeting the holy city Mecca. The U.S. State Department reissued an elevated travel warning the same day for the Kingdom.
The White House backed Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth on Tuesday after Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) introduced articles of impeachment against him over the Iran War and other military operations. Attorney General Todd Blanche defended Hegseth, saying he “follows the law” and is doing a “phenomenal job.”
Presenting the long-shot resolution on the House floor, Massie said Hegseth had subverted the constitution by deploying military power without congressional authorization. He later told CNN that civilian casualties in Iran are higher than they’d otherwise be because Hegseth “has degraded the ability” of the Pentagon to minimize them.
The House voted Tuesday, for the third time, to end the Iran War. Seven Republicans and all Democrats present supported the resolution, and the final tally was 220–204.
Vice President J.D. Vance said the Iran War will enter a “much different phase in a couple of months,” the New York Post reported Tuesday. The Post said Vance agreed with Trump’s remark that the war will end “right after” the November midterm elections.
“I certainly understand there’s some impatience from the American people, but fundamentally what’s happening right now is that the United States is not engaged in aggressive operations,” Vance said. “We’re just not.”
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