Saudi officials hold talks with rebels in Yemen

Saudi Arabia’s delegation, chaired by the kingdom’s ambassador to Yemen, Mohammed bin Saeed Al-Jaber, met with Mahdi al-Mashat, head of the Houthi’s supreme political council, which runs rebel-held areas in Yemen.

An Omani delegation, which arrived in Sanaa on Saturday, joined the talks, the Houthi-run SABA news agency reported.  There was no immediate comment from Saudi Arabia on the trip, the second of its kind in 2023, according to a Saudi official who spoke on condition of anonymity because he wasn't authorized to brief reporters.

Saudi Arabia and the Houthis reached a draft deal last month to revive a cease-fire that expired in October. The deal is meant to usher in a return to Yemeni political talks, according to Saudi and Yemeni officials.