Image for representation purposes only The Iran-backed Houthis have told the Donald Trump administration that they will not attack US ships in the Red Sea. They have also warned other countries not to join Saudi Arabia in the fighting in Yemen. Fighting between the Houthis and Saudi Arabia continues around the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. The waterway connects the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden. The Houthis say they will keep the strait open, but have announced a blockade on Saudi shipping. Mohamed al-Bukhaiti, a member of the Houthi political bureau, told The Associated Press that Washington contacted the group after Houthi forces made rapid gains along Yemen’s western coast towards the Bab el-Mandeb earlier this month. Trump had said earlier that his administration had been in contact with the Houthis. According to an AP report, Oman hosted talks between US and Houthi representatives last weekend. Al-Bukhaiti did not confirm a direct meeting. He said the two sides had been in indirect contact through Oman. Oman brokered a ceasefire between the Houthis and the Trump administration in 2025. The agreement ended a week-long US bombing campaign after the Houthis agreed to stop attacks on US vessels in the Red Sea. Al-Bukhaiti said the Houthis did not want to close the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. The strait links the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden and normally carries around 12% of global trade, according to the source material. Al-Bukhaiti also warned that the Houthis could widen the fighting if other countries joined Saudi Arabia. He said the Houthis would continue attacking Saudi Arabia until Riyadh lifted its decade-long blockade on rebel-held areas and allowed ships to reach Houthi-controlled Red Sea ports. Al-Bukhaiti added that the group would then be ready to negotiate. He blamed Saudi Arabia for the escalation. He said the fighting followed an airstrike attributed to the Saudi-led coalition that hit Sanaa International Airport. The strike stopped an Iranian aircraft carrying a