[U.S. diplomats discuss the situation in the Red Sea with the Houthi armed forces in Oman] September 17, according to a report from the U.S. Axios news website on the 16th, U.S. diplomats met with representatives of the Houthi armed forces in Yemen at the U.S. Embassy in Oman last weekend to discuss the tense situation in the Red Sea. The report quoted a regional source as saying that the meeting was held with the assistance of the Omani government and focused on maintaining the ceasefire agreement reached between the United States and the Houthis in May last year and ensuring that the Bab el-Mandab Strait remains open. The United States sent diplomats from its embassy to attend the meeting, but the ambassador himself did not attend. The source said that Houthi representatives made it clear during the meeting that they wanted to maintain the ceasefire agreement with the United States and emphasized that their attacks were only targeting Saudi Arabian ships and that all other ships could freely pass through the Bab el-Mandab Strait.