Yemen Monitor / Tehran / Exclusive:
Iran denied reports on Thursday of “negotiations between Iranian officials and Americans to pressure the Houthis to stop attacks in the Red Sea.”
The Iranian news agency “IRNA” quoted a source described as knowledgeable as saying that “no messages have been exchanged regarding developments in the Red Sea.”
The source added that the exchange of messages and indirect dialogue has been limited to discussions aimed at lifting sanctions.
On Wednesday, the British Financial Times reported that the United States had conducted secret talks with Iran to stop Houthi attacks in the Red Sea.
Since November, the Houthis have repeatedly targeted ships in the Red Sea and Bab-el-Mandeb Strait in response to Israel’s brutal attack on Gaza. They claim to be targeting ships linked to Israel.
In response, the US-UK have carried out airstrikes against Iran-backed Houthi militants since January 11. In retaliation, the Houthis have expanded their operations to include American and British ships.
