Representatives of Saudi Arabia and Yemen's Houthi rebels held meetings in Amman under the UN's Military Co-ordination Committee framework, the UN special envoy's office said in a statement on Tuesday.
The new round of technical meetings were held from Sunday to Monday, the statement said. Discussions centred on improving security for Yemenis "through de-escalation and dialgoue", while all of the committee's delegations, including Yemen's internationally recognised government, are to meet soon, it added.
The committee was set up in 2022 to help pave a path to peace. The Amman meeting is a sign of de-escalation between parties that have been at odds since the Houthis seized control of the Yemeni capital Sanaa in 2014, starting a decade-long conflict. The Yemeni government asked a Saudi-led coalition to intervene in March 2015.
A year after the committee was established, the UN special envoy to Yemen, Hans Grundberg, said talks between the Houthis and Saudi Arabia were the “closest Yemen has been to real progress towards lasting peace".
Iran has backed the Houthis through weapons smuggling and technical knowledge, UN reports show. The US and UK navies have intercepted arms shipments.
There were fears the Houthis would join the Iran war in support of Tehran, but the group's actions have been limited. The Houthis disrupted Red Sea shipping during Israel's two-year war on Gaza by attacking commercial vessels, before a ceasefire was reached in the enclave in October last year.
Regional tension remains high as a fragile ceasefire between Iran and the US holds. Hope for a second round of negotiations in Islamabad faltered on Tuesday, but US President Donald Trump announced the truce would be extended until talks are concluded “one way or the other”.
