US, Iran Hold Secret Talks Over Houthi Attack on Ships in Red Sea

The United States has held secret talks with Iran in an attempt to leverage Tehran's influence over Yemen's Houthi rebels to stop attacks on ships in the Red Sea, according to a report by the Financial Times.

These indirect negotiations, held in Oman in January, marked the first set of formal discussions between the two adversaries in ten months. 

The discussions reportedly addressed both the Houthi attacks and concerns surrounding Iran's nuclear program.

The US delegation, led by White House Middle East advisor Brett McGurk and Iran envoy Abram Paley, communicated with Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Ali Bagheri Kani (also Iran's top nuclear negotiator) through Omani mediators. 

This indirect format avoided direct contact between the US and Iranian officials.

According to sources familiar with the matter, the US views these indirect channels as a means to address "the full range of threats emanating from Iran." This includes conveying expectations from Iran to prevent wider conflict; "what they need to do in order to prevent a wider conflict, as they claim to want," a source said

A planned follow-up meeting in February involving McGurk was postponed due to his involvement in US efforts to broker a ceasefire and hostage release agreement between Israel and Hamas.

The State Department spokesperson confirmed the existence of "many channels" for communication with Iran.

Iran's IRNA state news agency quoted an "informed source" as saying the discussions were limited to lifting US sanctions on Tehran. 

"The removal of oppressive sanctions has always been on the priority agenda of the Iranian side," the agency quoted the person as saying. "The Islamic Republic of Iran has continued in this field."

These indirect talks come after the last known US-Iran discussions, also indirect, took place in May 2023. 

Since the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel, the region has seen a significant escalation with the daily cross-border fire between Israel and Lebanese Hezbollah, Houthi attacks on ships, and missile and drone attacks against US forces in Iraq and Syria by Iranian-aligned Iraqi militias.