Houthi chief negotiator vows continued attacks on Israeli ships despite US-Yemen ceasefire

In a defiant statement following the announcement of a US-Houthi ceasefire agreement, a top Houthi official declared that the Yemeni group will continue targeting Israeli-linked vessels in the Red Sea, insisting such operations were not covered by the new arrangement.

Mohammed Abdulsalam, the Houthis’ chief negotiator, told Al Jazeera that the ceasefire deal brokered by Oman does not constrain Houthi military actions against Israel. “The agreement between Sanaa and Washington provides for an end to American aggression against Yemen,” he said. “We will continue to attack Israeli ships until (humanitarian) aid reaches Gaza.”

The ceasefire was officially announced on May 6 by US President Donald Trump, who said American strikes on Houthi targets would stop “immediately” after the group agreed to halt its attacks on maritime vessels in the Red Sea. However, Abdulsalam's remarks clarified that the group does not see that commitment as extending to Israeli-linked shipping.

Omani Foreign Minister Badr Albusaidi confirmed the deal on Tuesday, noting that “after recent discussions and contacts ... to de-escalate, efforts have led to a ceasefire agreement between the two sides.”

The ceasefire follows nearly two months of sustained US-led bombing against the Houthis under “Operation Rough Rider,” a Pentagon campaign aimed at curbing the group’s maritime and regional aggression. According to US officials, the operation has reduced ballistic missile launches by 69 percent and cut one-way attack drone activity by 55 percent in 2025.

Despite these reductions, the Houthis have demonstrated a persistent willingness to strike targets associated with Israel. According to the International Crisis Group, the group has launched over 500 attacks against commercial shipping and Israel since Hamas’ attack on Israel on October 7, 2023. Although the frequency of attacks in the Red Sea has declined, with no commercial vessel targeted since late December, the threat remains active.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio emphasized the security rationale behind the campaign, calling the Houthis “a band of individuals with advanced weaponry that were threatening global shipping.” He added, “The job was to get that to stop.”

The US military has sustained a considerable operational presence in the region throughout the campaign. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth authorized the extension of the USS Harry S. Truman carrier strike group’s deployment and dispatched the USS Carl Vinson to reinforce it. Additionally, six B-2 strategic bombers — representing a third of the US fleet — were deployed to the Diego Garcia airbase in the Indian Ocean.

President Trump’s announcement of the ceasefire comes just days before a scheduled diplomatic tour of Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates. He has teased a “very, very big” and “positive” announcement ahead of the trip, though details remain undisclosed.

By Tamilla Hasanova