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© Luis Alfredo Romero/wikimedia.orgSafer shipping on the Red Sea with Trump's ceasefire
In a stunning diplomatic pivot, US President Donald Trump announced on May 6 that the United States would immediately cease its nearly two-month bombing campaign against Yemen's Houthi rebels, following an Oman-brokered ceasefire agreement. The deal, hailed by Trump as a Houthi "capitulation," aims to secure vital Red Sea shipping routes that carry 1 trillion USD in annual trade. However, Trump did not indicate how or if the agreement would impact Houthi attacks against Israel, sparking alarm and raising questions in the nation.

President Trump made the surprise declaration from the Oval Office during a meeting with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, stating:
"They [the Houthis] said please don't bomb us anymore and we're not going to attack your ships. I'll accept their word, and we are going to stop the bombing of the Houthis effective immediately."
The agreement followed weeks of secret negotiations mediated by Oman's Foreign Minister Badr Albusaidi and US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff. Oman's foreign ministry confirmed the truce, saying:
"Neither side will target the other, including American vessels, in the Red Sea and Bab al-Mandab Strait, ensuring freedom of navigation and the smooth flow of international commercial shipping."
Qatar and Kuwait issued statements welcoming the deal, expressing hope that it would stabilize global shipping routes.

The ceasefire marks a dramatic swing from President Trump's aggressive March 2025 campaign, which saw the US conduct over 800 airstrikes on Houthi targets, costing more than 1 billion USD and killing hundreds. The agreement stipulates that both parties refrain from targeting each other, but the rapid pace of its negotiation has sparked skepticism about the ceasefire's longevity.

Israel was caught off guard, learning of the agreement through public channels. Senior officials urgently sought clarification on whether the Houthis would cease their missile and drone attacks against Israel. A high-ranking source stated, "If their assaults stop, we will hold our fire." Just hours before President Trump made the announcement, Israel, in coordination with US Central Command, launched a precision strike on Sanaa's international airport, obliterating runways and several aircraft in response to a Houthi missile attack on Ben Gurion Airport, Tel Aviv. The Israeli raid rendered Yemen's airport inoperable.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu swiftly convened his security cabinet to evaluate the ceasefire's implications, particularly in terms of Houthi aggression toward Israel. National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, decried the US for "betraying" Israel, though Prime Minister Netanyahu was quick to call for restraint.

Houthi officials have explicitly stated that attacks on Israel will continue unabated despite the US ceasefire. Mahdi al-Mashat, head of the Houthi Supreme Political Council, declared the group would persist with strikes advising Israelis to "remain in shelters" as their government "cannot protect them." Mohammed Ali al-Houthi, a senior official, tweeted that the US halt of "aggression" against Yemen would be evaluated, but attacks on Israel would continue. Since November 2023, the Iran-backed terror group has launched more than 350 ballistic missiles and drones targeting Israel, claiming their attacks are in solidarity with Gaza.

Oman facilitated the dialogue that resulted in the ceasefire agreement, reportedly eager to prove itself as a neutral mediator in the Gulf. With a history of brokering US-Iran nuclear talks and Yemen peace efforts, Oman maintains open channels with Washington, Tehran and Sanaa. Its shared border with Yemen and strong economic interest in Red Sea routes, drove its involvement. The talks emerged as a byproduct of ongoing US-Iran nuclear negotiations, but US State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce told reporters not to "conflate" the talks with Iran with the "good news" of the Houthi agreement. The administration is holding separate talks with Tehran about its nuclear program. A fourth round of discussions was postponed last week. The administration has not yet confirmed reports that the US-Iran talks will continue Sunday May 11.