Axios news network has reported that American diplomats and representatives of the Houthis met on Sunday in Muscat, the capital of Oman, with the mediation of the Omani government, and discussed the situation in the Red Sea.

Axios reported on Thursday, 26 Sunbula, that the two sides reached an understanding in this meeting regarding maintaining last year’s ceasefire and ensuring freedom of navigation in the Bab al-Mandab Strait.

This meeting took place as the Houthis in recent days have taken control of several important cities and ports in southern Yemen from the country’s government forces and have dominated parts of the strategic Bab al-Mandab route.

According to this report, the United States, on one hand, is trying to keep the shipping route in the Red Sea and Bab al-Mandab open, and on the other hand, does not want to enter into war in Saudi Arabia’s conflict with the Houthis.

A regional source told Axios that the Houthis, after taking control of Bab al-Mandab, have announced that they will not prevent the free passage of ships in this international waterway, but have exempted ships linked to Saudi Arabia due to the continuation of the blockade on Yemen.

Washington has so far not accepted Saudi Arabia’s requests for military intervention in this conflict.