Bloomberg says Saudi Arabia has opened back channel talks with Yemen's Ansarullah under Omani mediation

Bloomberg reported on Tuesday 4 August 2026, citing people familiar with the matter, that Saudi Arabia has opened back channel talks with Yemen's Ansarullah movement under Omani mediation. The stated aim of the quiet diplomacy is to prevent a renewed escalation of the conflict and to reduce the risk of attacks by the movement on the Saudi oil industry and economy.

According to the report, the sources, who asked not to be named because of the sensitivity of the matter, said Riyadh is pursuing the diplomatic track while still preparing military options should it fail.

Tension between Saudi Arabia and Yemen's armed forces rose again in recent weeks after an attack on Sanaa international airport and tighter restrictions on it. Yemen's armed forces called that attack a violation of earlier agreements and responded with missile and drone strikes on targets in Saudi Arabia, including Abha airport, while declaring a naval blockade of the kingdom. That blockade is what pushed Saudi tankers off the Bab el-Mandeb route and around the Cape of Good Hope, and cut loaded tanker capacity in the Red Sea by 22%. Any diplomatic opening between the two sides therefore bears directly on freight costs and on the region's oil supply routes.