Omani Efforts Ongoing to Stop Houthi Inclusion on Terror List

Sources told Sheba Intelligence that Oman began talking with the United States of America to postpone the classification of the Houthis as a terrorist organization as this American resolution will contribute to derailing the peace process in Yemen.

The sources indicated that Washington reiterated the need to pressure the Houthis to stop their attacks on ships in the Red Sea without promising it will postpone the inclusion of the Houthis on the terror list, which will take effect tomorrow, Friday, February 16.

The Houthis are preparing for an unprecedented escalation if the implementation of the U.S. decision is announced, military sources told Sheba Intelligence and the group has intensified the deployment of missile launchers in preparation for intensified attacks against international forces in the Red Sea.

Since November last year, the Houthi group has launched numerous attacks on ships in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, disrupting the operations of the shipping lines and sparking fear for many countries and companies.

The U.S. and Britain began launching airstrikes on the Houthi sites on January 12 in a bid to degrade the group's military capabilities. However, the Houthi attacks have continued nonstop, and air raids on sites in Yemen have not ceased. The continuation of airstrikes and the designation of the Houthi group as a terrorist organization are a recipe for further conflict in Yemen and the Red Sea.

Despite hundreds of airstrikes on sites in Yemen and the U.S. resolution to blacklist the Houthis, the group has vowed to carry out more attacks on Israeli, American and British ships.

The spokesman of the Houthi government in Sana'a, Zaifullah al-Shami, said yesterday that they have targeted 34 American, British, and Israeli ships since the beginning of the Gaza war.

He explained, "During the past 131 days, 14 American ships, 3 British ships, and 17 Israeli ships have been targeted by Yemeni attacks in support of the people of Gaza."

Late last month, informed sources told Sheba Intelligence that Omani-Qatari mediation has contributed to reducing the escalation in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden between international forces and the Houthi group.

However, according to the sources, the latest attack on the American base in Jordan prompted the American forces to launch more strikes on locations accommodating Iranian military advisors in Iraq, Syria, and Yemen.

Hans Grundberg, the U.N. envoy to Yemen, said in his briefing to the Security Council that different priorities and interests are buffeting his efforts to reach a peace agreement in Yemen, and the situation in the country remains concerning.

He added, "Rising regional tensions linked to the war in Gaza, and in particular the military escalation in the Red Sea, are slowing down the pace of the peace efforts in Yemen.

What happens regionally impacts the peace process in Yemen, and what happens in Yemen can affect the region, Grundberg said.