Media outlets run by the "Houthis" reported today, Sunday, that a Saudi delegation and another from Oman arrived in the Yemeni capital, Sana'a, to negotiate with officials from the Houthi group regarding an agreement for a permanent ceasefire and the end of military intervention by Riyadh in the long-running war. The visit indicates progress in ongoing Omani-mediated consultations between Riyadh and Sana'a, in parallel with United Nations peace efforts. The peace efforts have also gained momentum after Saudi Arabia and Iran agreed to resume relations under a China-mediated agreement.
Oman, which shares a border with Yemen, has been trying for years to resolve disputes among the warring parties in Yemen and, more broadly, between Iran and Saudi Arabia and the United States. The Yemeni news agency (Saba) managed by the "Houthis" reported that the Saudi and Omani delegations that arrived in Sana'a late Saturday night met with Mahdi al-Mashat, the head of the Supreme Political Council in the Houthi-led government, at the presidential palace in Sana'a.
The agency stated that al-Mashat reiterated the group's call for "honorable peace," adding that the Yemeni people aspire for "freedom and independence." It also mentioned that the two sides would negotiate a cessation of hostilities and lifting the "blockade" on Yemeni ports led by the Kingdom.
Sources told Reuters that discussions between Saudi Arabia and the "Houthis" focus on fully reopening ports controlled by the "Houthis" and Sana'a Airport, paying public sector salaries, reconstruction efforts, and a timeline for the withdrawal of foreign forces from the country.
