US makes U-turn after talks with Houthis, distances from Saudi help

Through the Reader lens: After talks hosted in Oman, the United States has decided against launching direct military intervention in Yemen over Houthi activities, a shift that effectively hands responsibility for containing the conflict to Saudi Arabia. Reporting also indicates US officials held direct talks with the Houthi leadership in Oman — an unusual channel that bypasses Riyadh and suggests Washington is prioritizing de-escalation over coalition politics. For Saudi Arabia this is a double setback: it now faces the Houthi threat with less American backup, and the Houthis continue to target Saudi ships in the Red Sea, keeping maritime traffic at risk. Oman emerges as a key mediator, reinforcing its traditional role as the Gulf's diplomatic intermediary. The coverage, largely neutral in tone, leaves open whether the US-Houthi channel will produce a durable de-escalation or simply redraw the region's fault lines. What to watch next is whether the talks yield a shipping-security understanding, how Riyadh recalibrates its military posture, and whether any reduction in Houthi attacks follows the diplomatic opening.