IT did not take long for the United States (U.S.) to receive a response after negotiating with Houthis about the ongoing tensions in one of the world’s most strategic waterways.
Houthi rebels in Yemen turned down an offer by the Americans to stop its attacks in the Red Sea in exchange for incentives, potential peace talks, and sanctions relief in the Yemeni capital of Sana’a and the city of Hodeidah.
Political sources from Yemen spilled the beans during an exclusive interview with the UAE’s state-owned English daily newspaper The National.
The remarks came out days after the proposed incentive by the U.S. to the Houthis was revealed on the same platform.
According to the political sources, the Houthis have initially considered the offer and were weighing their options in the past few days before deciding to turn it down.
They added that the Houthis and American negotiators failed to reach a consensus as the rebel group felt what was being offered to them was not enough.
Attacks staged by Houthi rebels in the Red Sea have increased since the Israel-Hamas war erupted on October 7, 2023. The escalating Houthi attacks in the Red Sea have significantly disrupted the global maritime trade, resulting in more expensive and longer shipping times as well as transport costs.
The Houthi attacks in the Red Sea mostly targeted cargo vessels linked or routed to Israel taken as a sign of the rebel group’s support for Palestinians in Gaza.
