Yemen’s Houthi rebels have agreed to a ceasefire with the United States, and vowed to adhere to the agreement if Washington does the same, the group’s spokesperson has said.

“The U.S. interfered to support the Israeli entity by attacking Yemen. So, if they stop their aggression, we will stop responding,’’ Houthi spokesman Mohamed Abdel-Salam told al-Masirah TV late Tuesday.

“If the U.S. does not abide by the agreement in any way, the response will be fatal,’’ he added.

He said talks with the mediator, Oman, had been going on for weeks before the announcement.

Oman said that both parties had agreed to end hostilities, including strikes on U.S. vessels in the Red Sea.

Abdel-Salam said that Houthi support for Gaza will continue and that any deal with the U.S. will not change the rebel group’s stance towards Israel.

Since October 2023, Houthi militants have repeatedly attacked military and civilian vessels in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, saying their campaign was retaliation for Israeli military operations in the Gaza Strip.

The escalation has severely disrupted global shipping, forcing many carriers to reroute around the Cape of Good Hope.

(dpa/NAN)