Houthis pledge to uphold ceasefire if US halts strikes on Yemen

Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen have said they will continue to observe a ceasefire with the United States, provided Washington maintains its commitment to halt military action against them, according to a senior official.

The group resumed launching ballistic missiles and drones at Israel last month, framing the move as support for Iran, Caliber.Az reports via US media.

However, the Houthis have so far refrained from targeting commercial shipping in the Red Sea or US assets in the region, signalling a conditional restraint tied to the trajectory of the broader conflict.

“There is no intention to target any Muslim country except in response to aggression against Yemen,” senior Houthi leader Mohammed Ali Al Houthi said in comments communicated to CNN through the group’s ministry of information.

He added that the group’s objective “is to prevent the Red Sea from being used militarily against any Muslim country,” stressing that it possesses the military capability to “protect” the strategic waterway.

The Houthis control most of Yemen’s Red Sea coastline and had, until May 2025, carried out sustained attacks on commercial vessels they claimed were linked to Israel. The campaign disrupted global trade flows, forcing major shipping firms to reroute away from one of the world’s busiest maritime corridors.

Despite the current pause in maritime attacks, the group has indicated it could escalate its actions if the conflict intensifies. In particular, it has suggested that the Bab al-Mandab Strait — a critical chokepoint at the southern entrance to the Red Sea — could be closed. Another Houthi official described such a move as “a viable option” in comments to CNN last week.

Addressing concerns over potential strikes on Saudi infrastructure, Al Houthi said the group would refrain from targeting Red Sea ports used by Riyadh as long as de-escalation efforts continue.

“There is no intention to do so as long as Saudi Arabia adheres to de-escalation and does not join America and Israel in escalating the conflict against our country,” he said.

Iran, a key ally of the Houthis, has meanwhile targeted Gulf Arab states hosting US military bases, adding to regional tensions.

Al Houthi emphasised that the group’s decision to strike Israel was made independently, stating that its actions are “not at any request from anyone.”

By Aghakazim Guliyev