The White House is engaging in private diplomacy with the Houthi movement in Yemen to manage regional instability. Vice President JD Vance stated Monday that the US government has held direct conversations with the group as it escalates attacks on Saudi Arabia. The administration is using these interactions to represent American interests while the Iran-aligned group expands its control near the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.

The US is concurrently coordinating with Saudi Arabia and other countries impacted by the conflict. Vance identified the Houthi seizure of Mayyun Island as a specific concern, though he maintained that the US is on top of the situation. He described the current environment as fluid and dynamic, requiring constant monitoring of the Red Sea.