Houthi Official Claims US Offered Recognition of Sanaa Government; US Official Denies Allegation By Reuters

CAIRO (Reuters) – A senior official from the Houthi government in Sanaa stated on Monday that the U.S. has offered to recognize their government in an effort to halt the Yemeni rebel group’s attacks. However, a U.S. official later refuted these claims, describing them as completely false.

These comments by the Houthi official followed a significant incident in which a ballistic missile fired by the Iran-aligned group reached central Israel for the first time. In response, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned that Israel would impose a “heavy price” on the Houthis.

Mohammed al-Bukhaiti, a member of the Houthi movement’s political bureau, shared with Al Jazeera Mubasher TV that there is ongoing communication after each operation the Houthis carry out. He suggested that these communications often involve threats or attempts to entice the group into negotiations, but he claimed that efforts to reach an agreement have largely been abandoned.

In response to the Houthi official’s statements, a U.S. official, who wished to remain anonymous, called them “a total fabrication.” Additionally, a spokesman from the U.S. State Department remarked that “Houthi propaganda is rarely true or newsworthy,” noting that such coverage lends undeserved credibility to their misinformation efforts.

Al-Bukhaiti further indicated that the communications following attacks included indirect outreach from the U.S. and the U.K. through mediators. He mentioned that threats from these communications included potential U.S. military action against countries that intervene militarily “in support of Gaza.”

Alongside their actions targeting Israel, the Houthis have also launched attacks on ships they allege are linked to or en route to Israel as a show of support for the Palestinians amid the current conflict in Gaza. Since November, the Houthis have reportedly damaged over 80 vessels through missile and drone strikes, resulting in the sinking of two ships and the seizure of another, with at least three crew members killed.

The ongoing conflict in the Gaza Strip ignited after Hamas militants conducted a surprise attack on Israel, resulting in the deaths of 1,200 individuals and approximately 250 foreign and Israeli hostages, according to Israeli sources. In response, Israel’s military operations in Gaza have led to the deaths of over 41,000 Palestinians and injuries to around 95,000 others, according to the Gaza health ministry.

Yemen has been mired in civil war for several years, with the Houthis seizing control of the capital, Sanaa, in 2014 and ousting the internationally recognized government. Earlier this year, the U.S. placed the Houthis back on its list of terrorist organizations.