Saudi Arabia is reportedly set to restore half the capacity of a key pipeline within days, as secret contacts between the United States and the Houthi rebels come to light.

Saudi Arabia is working tirelessly to restore its energy supply lines, which were disrupted by drone attacks, even as geopolitical tensions over the Red Sea and the Bab al-Mandeb Strait quietly escalate.

According to a report by China Central Television citing U.S. sources on Wednesday, September 16, U.S. officials recently held talks with representatives of Yemen's Houthi movement in Muscat, the capital of Oman. The report stated that the meetings took place over the weekend of September 12–13 at the U.S. Embassy in Muscat.

According to Reuters, citing sources familiar with the matter, during the talks the Houthi side told the U.S. that it does not intend to attack U.S. or Israeli vessels and pledged to abide by the 2025 bilateral ceasefire agreement. One Yemeni source added that the Houthis also stated they would refrain from targeting any commercial ships, reserving such actions solely for Saudi vessels.

To date, the above reports have not been officially confirmed by any party. Recent accounts indicate that, under pressure from pipeline disruptions and forced rerouting of export flows, Saudi Arabia is working to restore roughly half of the east–west oil pipeline's capacity within days while simultaneously ramping up spot sales through waters near the Strait of Hormuz. Meanwhile, a little‑known round of contacts between the United States and the Houthi rebels has come to light, adding yet another layer of uncertainty to an already highly tense maritime region.

This contact signal has further complicated market assessments of the Red Sea situation. London Brent crude prices have surged above $107 per barrel, as disruptions to the East-West pipeline have already put millions of barrels of daily exports at risk. Saudi Aramco's ramp-up of spot sales near the Strait of Hormuz, coupled with informal contacts between the U.S. and Saudi Arabia, all point to a scenario still fraught with high uncertainty: Saudi Arabia is bearing the pressure alone, while Washington's stance remains unclear.

Pipeline rerouting plan is progressing, with the goal of full restoration within six weeks.

According to Bloomberg, citing a source who requested anonymity due to the sensitivity of the matter, Saudi Aramco is working to bypass the damaged section of its East–West pipeline, aiming to restore roughly half of the pipeline's capacity within days and to resume full operations in about six weeks. Neither Saudi Aramco nor the Saudi Ministry of Energy has commented on the matter.

The East–West Pipeline runs the full length of Saudi Arabia, connecting the eastern oilfields to the Red Sea port of Yanbu. During periods when the Strait of Hormuz was under threat from Iranian hostilities, it served as a critical corridor for Saudi Arabia to circumvent the strait's risks and safeguard its exports.

Following last week's drone attack that shut down the pipeline, the volume of oil that can be transported and the timeline for resuming operations have become key variables closely monitored by crude‑oil traders. At present, these timelines remain internal targets set by Aramco, rather than official commitments.

Saudi Aramco shifts to Hormuz, launching large-scale spot sales to Asian buyers.

Following the shutdown of east–west pipelines, Saudi Aramco has swiftly adjusted its export strategy.

According to Bloomberg, citing multiple traders familiar with the deal, Saudi Aramco sold roughly 20 million barrels of crude oil to Asian refiners this week, with shipments scheduled for loading and offloading off the Strait of Hormuz between September and October. Buyers include Chinese refineries as well as other East Asian importers.

The aforementioned cargoes were loaded via ship-to-ship transfer in the Gulf of Oman, meaning the buyer's delivery point lies outside the Strait of Hormuz, and the shipping risks associated with transiting the strait are borne by the seller rather than the buyer. Meanwhile, Aramco has also delayed the delivery of certain shipments originating from the Red Sea port of Yanbu to European customers and at least one East Asian refinery; the extent of these delays remains unclear. Bloomberg previously reported on this separately.

This shift in export routes marks Saudi Arabia's return to reliance on its traditional Persian Gulf–Hormuz export corridor following the pipeline disruption, even as shipping‑security risks along that route persist.

U.S. and North Korean leaders met in Oman over the weekend, with all parties expressing a cautious stance.

Around this encounter, significant discrepancies remain among the various sources of information.

According to Reuters, the meeting was brokered by the Omani government, which has long served as a regional mediator. Three sources familiar with the matter said the talks were held at the U.S. Embassy in Muscat, with U.S. officials reportedly represented by embassy staff. The Houthi delegation reportedly included Mohammad Abdulsalam, a senior official based in Muscat who is currently under U.S. sanctions, as well as another senior figure, Abdelmalik al-Ajiri.

When asked about the meeting, a U.S. State Department spokesperson declined to confirm it, stating only that safeguarding freedom of navigation in the Red Sea and preventing the spread of terrorism in the Middle East are core U.S. interests. Neither the Omani Embassy in the United States nor Abdulsalam responded to requests for comment.

On September 12, Trump publicly stated that the Houthi side had contacted the U.S. side, saying they "do not wish to engage in conflict with the United States." On Monday, U.S. Vice President Harris also said the United States is in direct contact with the Houthi side, but did not disclose any details.

Houthi forces are advancing aggressively, leaving the United States in a dilemma.

The backdrop to this engagement is the Houthi forces' marked expansion on the Yemeni battlefield.

According to Reuters and Israeli media, the Houthi forces last week completed de facto control over Yemen's entire Red Sea coastline, including the historic port city of Mocha and Perim Island—located at the entrance to the Bab al-Mandeb Strait and known as the "Gate of Tears," a critical chokepoint in global oil supplies.

According to reports, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman called Trump last week seeking U.S. military support, but Washington has stated it will not intervene directly.

According to China Central Television, Li Zixin, a Middle East expert at the China Institute of International Studies, points out that the United States currently faces a dilemma: Saudi Crown Prince's two requests for assistance within a single day were both rejected, with Washington offering only intelligence support; meanwhile, the Houthi rebels continue to strike Saudi targets while signaling to the U.S. that they have no intention of expanding the blockade of the Bab al-Mandeb Strait.

Li Zixin argues that the Houthi forces have seized all key geographic chokepoints, establishing shore-based footholds that enable them to maintain sustained control over the battlefield. This has given them a low-cost, high-leverage asymmetric advantage vis-à-vis the United States, severely constraining Washington's military options for intervention.

Meanwhile, the Houthi forces' military operations have not ceased despite the ceasefire.

According to Israeli media, Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree stated that this week the group launched missile and drone strikes against Aramco facilities in Yanbu and the Khamis Mushait airbase in southern Saudi Arabia. The Saudi-led coalition also accused the Houthis of attacking areas near the holy city of Mecca on Tuesday, claiming that its air defense systems intercepted and destroyed a Houthi drone before it entered the no-fly zone. The Houthis have denied carrying out the attack on Mecca.

Editor/stephen