The U.S. Confirms Direct Dialogue Between Senior Diplomat and Houthis

The U.S. State Department confirmed that a senior American diplomat met with representatives of the Houthi rebels in Oman last week, discussing American hostages and seeking a political solution to the Yemen crisis. The Wall Street Journal reports that this meeting, which took place in Muscat, was 'secretive' and marks the first encounter between senior officials of the Obama administration and the Houthi rebels. According to the newspaper, the Americans facilitated the travel of the Houthi spokesperson and his delegation to Muscat. Previous contacts between the Obama administration and the Houthis had been conducted through Omani officials. Earlier reports indicated the detention of four American citizens by the Iranian-backed Houthi rebels. Reuters reported on Tuesday, June 2, that the direct meeting led to the release of Casey Coombs, an American journalist, by the Houthis, while three other Americans, two of whom are of Yemeni descent and one Somali descent, remain in Houthi custody. Reports suggest that the U.S. sought to address other issues during this meeting, including urging the Houthis to refrain from firing at Saudi positions along the Saudi-Yemen border. One informed source indicated that Houthi representatives expressed grievances to the American side regarding a new UN resolution related to sanctions against one of the main Houthi leaders. According to Reuters, Marie Harf, a spokesperson for the U.S. State Department, stated on Tuesday that 'these meetings are generally part of our broader engagement with various elements across the political spectrum in Yemen.' She explained that the senior American diplomat who met with the Houthis in Muscat is Anne Patterson, the Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs, who recently traveled to Jordan and Saudi Arabia to work towards a ceasefire in Yemen. Harf added that the U.S. aims to convince all parties, including the Houthis, to participate in the UN-led political process and attend scheduled talks in Geneva. John Kerry, the U.S. Secretary of State, briefly discussed the Yemen issue alongside nuclear matters with his Iranian counterpart in Geneva on Saturday. Marie Harf declined to elaborate on this part of the discussions between Kerry and Mohammad Javad Zarif but stated that, in her view, the parties did not discuss the issue of the detained Americans by the Houthis.