Yemen Monitor/Aden/newsroom:
The British newspaper Financial Times reported on Wednesday that The US has held secret talks with Iran this year in a bid to convince Tehran to use its influence over Yemen’s Houthi movement to end attacks on ships in the Red Seaز
The newspaper reported: The US has held secret talks with Iran this year in a bid to convince Tehran to use its influence over Yemen’s Houthi movement to end attacks on ships in the Red Sea, according to US and Iranian officials.
The indirect negotiations, during which Washington also raised concerns about Iran’s expanding nuclear programme, took place in Oman in January and were the first between the foes in 10 months, the officials said.
The US delegation was led by White House Middle East adviser Brett McGurk and his special envoy to Iran, Rob Malley. The Islamic Republic of Iran was represented by Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Ali Bagheri Kani, who is also Iran’s chief nuclear negotiator.
The officials said that Omani officials shuttled between the Iranian and US representatives, so they did not speak directly.
The talks highlight how the Biden administration is using diplomatic channels with its adversaries, alongside military deterrence, in an attempt to calm a wave of regional hostilities involving Iran-backed armed groups that erupted after the Israeli offensive in Gaza
A second round of negotiations involving McGurk was scheduled for February, but was postponed when he became tied up with US efforts to broker an agreement between Israel and Hamas to halt the war in Gaza and secure the release of Israeli hostages held in the strip, the US officials added.
US officials have repeatedly accused Tehran of supplying the Houthis with drones, missiles and intelligence to conduct their attacks on shipping.
