US Begins Direct Talks With Yemen’s Houthi Rebels, Says Vice President JD Vance

His comments came after the Iran-backed Houthis reportedly seized the strategically important Yemeni island of Mayyun, also known as Perim, in the Red Sea.

 

Vance spoke to reporters at Joint Base Andrews before departing for Kansas. He was asked whether he was concerned about the Houthis taking control of Perim Island, which lies in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a strategically important international shipping route, and how the United States would respond.

 

In response, Vance said, “We are in regular contact with others in the region who have been affected, including the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia. The US administration is monitoring the situation very closely.”

 

“We are also engaged in direct talks with the Houthis. So we believe the situation remains under our control. However, the situation is changing very rapidly and dramatically. We will continue to monitor developments and make sure that US interests are being properly protected.”

 

Vance made the remarks as fighting between the Houthis and Yemen’s Saudi-backed government forces has intensified. At the same time, the Houthis have been carrying out attacks on various targets, including energy facilities in Saudi Arabia.

 

The Houthis seized Perim Island, located in the middle of the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, last Friday. The move gives them control over the strategic waterway. The Iran-aligned group has threatened to halt shipping through the Bab el-Mandeb.

 

The seizure of Perim Island has rapidly altered the strategic situation in the Middle East. The Bab el-Mandeb is a narrow maritime gateway connecting the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden and is one of the world’s most important shipping routes.

 

Meanwhile, shipping through the Strait of Hormuz has already been severely disrupted because of the ongoing war with Iran on the other side of the Arabian Peninsula. As a result, Saudi Arabia has increasingly relied on Red Sea shipping routes to export crude oil. With the Houthis now reportedly establishing full control over the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, the global oil market faces heightened risks.

 

By establishing control over Yemen’s entire Red Sea coastline and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, the Houthis have given Iran a strategically advantageous position against the United States in the ongoing Middle East conflict.