WASHINGTON: The United States and Yemen鈥檚 Houthis have reached a ceasefire agreement, mediator Oman announced Tuesday, saying the deal would ensure 鈥渇reedom of navigation鈥� in the Red Sea where the militia has attacked shipping.

It comes after President Donald Trump announced that the United States would end its attacks against the Houthis after the militia agreed to stop harassing ships in the Red Sea, though he made no direct mention of recent attacks on ally Israel.
Omani Foreign Minister Badr Albusaidi said that 鈥渇ollowing recent discussions and contacts... with the aim of de-escalation, efforts have resulted in a ceasefire agreement between the two sides.鈥�
鈥淣either side will target the other... ensuring freedom of navigation and the smooth flow of international commercial shipping鈥� in the Red Sea, he added in a statement posted online.
In surprise comments at the White House, Trump said the Houthis had 鈥渃apitulated鈥� after a near-daily, seven-week US bombing campaign that left 300 dead, according to an AFP tally of Houthi figures.
There was no official comment from the Houthis, who have been firing missiles and drones at ships on the vital trade artery during the Israel-Hamas war since late 2023, saying they are acting in solidarity with the Palestinians.
鈥淭he Houthis have announced... that they don鈥檛 want to fight anymore. They just don鈥檛 want to fight,鈥� Trump said during a White House press appearance with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney.
鈥淎nd we will honor that, and we will stop the bombings, and they have capitulated,鈥� he added.
鈥淭hey say they will not be blowing up ships anymore, and that鈥檚... the purpose of what we were doing,鈥� the US president said, adding that the information came from a 鈥渧ery, very good source.鈥�
Trump鈥檚 comments came just hours after Israeli warplanes put Sanaa鈥檚 international airport out of action in a series of raids that killed three, according to the Houthis.
The Pentagon said last week that US strikes had hit more than 1,000 targets in Yemen since mid-March.
Tuesday鈥檚 Israeli strikes 鈥渃ompletely destroyed鈥� Yemen鈥檚 Sanaa airport on Tuesday, an airport official said, and also targeted power stations and a cement factory.
鈥淭hree planes out of seven belonging to Yemenia Airlines were destroyed at Sanaa airport, and Sanaa International Airport was completely destroyed,鈥� the official said.
Israel鈥檚 military said 鈥渇ighter jets struck and dismantled Houthi terrorist infrastructure at the main airport in Sanaa, fully disabling the airport.鈥�
鈥淔light runways, aircraft and infrastructure at the airport were struck,鈥� a statement said.
The Israeli strikes, in retaliation for a Houthi missile that gouged a crater at Tel Aviv鈥檚 Ben Gurion International Airport on Sunday, also killed four people on Monday.
On Tuesday, plumes of thick, black smoke were seen billowing from the airport. Residents reported power cuts in Sanaa and Hodeida after the Israelis also struck three electricity stations in and around the capital.
鈥淚 was sleeping at home when 15 missiles were fired at us,鈥� said Abdallah, a 27-year-old student from Sanaa, who did not want to give his family name.
鈥淚 felt like the roof of the house had caved in. It was scary.鈥�
One person was killed at the airport and two others at a power station in Sanaa, the Houthis鈥� Saba news agency said, citing the health ministry. Another 35 were wounded, Saba said.
鈥淥ur children are terrified,鈥� said Umm Abdallah, a 35-year-old Sanaa resident, after Tuesday鈥檚 attacks.
鈥淭hey are afraid to go to the bathroom or eat because of the strikes. I mean, they cuddled up next to me because of the fear and terror they felt.鈥�
Just before Tuesday鈥檚 attacks, Israel鈥檚 military urged Yemeni civilians to 鈥渋mmediately鈥� evacuate the airport and 鈥渟tay away from the area鈥� in an Arabic post on X.
The Houthis promised to hit back after the attack.
The 鈥渁ggression will not pass without a response and Yemen will not be discouraged from its stance in support of Gaza,鈥� the Houthi political bureau said in a statement.
Regional tensions have soared again this week over Israel鈥檚 plan to expand military operations in the Gaza Strip and displace much of the besieged territory鈥檚 population.
Hans Grundberg, the United Nations鈥� special envoy for Yemen, called the exchange of strikes between Yemen and Israel 鈥渁 grave escalation in an already fragile and volatile regional context.鈥�
Israel says it has targeted Yemen five times since July 2024, with Houthi authorities reporting a total of 29 people killed. Israel鈥檚 army regularly intercepts missiles from Yemen.
The Sanaa airport reopened to international flights in 2022 and offers a regular service to Jordan on the home-grown Yemenia airline.