At a press conference on Tuesday, US President Trump said that he had reached a ceasefire with the Yemeni Houthi militia.
This raises hopes that the attacks on ships in the Red Sea will stop. This would make one of the world’s most important trade routes navigable again.
Due to the ongoing attacks on ships by the Houthis, many shipping companies are avoiding the route through the Red Sea and the Suez Canal. Instead, they use the longer but safer route around the Cape of Good Hope. This longer tie-up of tonnage caused freight rates to rise, leading to delays and congestion outside the ports. Several ships were so badly damaged in the course of the attacks that they sank. Shortly after Trump’s inauguration, the US launched counterattacks in Yemen on March 15. Among other things, command posts and weapons depots were destroyed and America also stationed two aircraft carriers in the region.
Trump has now announced that these bombings will cease “with immediate effect”. “They have surrendered,” said the President. “They said they will no longer attack ships.” The USA would respect this will for a ceasefire. The announcement was made during a visit by the newly elected Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney.
Oman mediated with Houthi militia
Neighboring Oman also has a key role to play in this development. Omani Foreign Minister Badr Albusaidi wrote on the X news service that his government had negotiated the ceasefire.
“In the future, neither side will attack the other,” it said, “including American ships in the Red Sea and Bab el-Mandeb, so that the region can be navigated freely and the uninterrupted flow of international commercial shipping is guaranteed.” Oman is grateful for this development and hopes for further progress on regional issues in order to achieve “justice, freedom and prosperity for all”.
However, the Houthis themselves have doubts about the “surrender” formulated by Trump. Leader Mohammed Ali al-Houthi also stated on X that the group wants to “examine the American approach on the ground” before reaching any agreements. Western experts have already expressed the suspicion that the Houthis and their ally Iran could use the ceasefire as a tactical pause to rebuild their capacities, without really wanting to de-escalate the conflict. (JW)
