PDB Afternoon Bulletin | September 16th, 2026: Inside America’s Secret Meeting With the Houthis & Attacks on U.S.-Bound Tankers

Mike Baker (0:00)

Hey, Mike Baker here. Now, if the PDB has become part of your daily routine, and we certainly hope that it has, I hope you'll consider becoming a premium member of The President's Daily Brief simply by visiting pdbpremium.com. You'll get ad-free episodes, exclusive content, regular Ask Me Anything episodes, and of course, our weekly PDB Intelligence checklist. Again, you can sign up today at pdbpremium.com.

It's Wednesday, the 16th of September. Welcome to the PDB Afternoon Bulletin. I'm Mike Baker, your eyes and ears on the world stage. All right, let's get briefed. First up, new details are emerging about a secret US meeting with Houthi rebels held just as fighting between the militants and Saudi Arabia has been escalating. I'll have the details later in the show. The US is investigating cyber attacks on oil and LNG tankers headed for American ports, with officials looking at whether or not Iran is behind the attacks. But first, today's afternoon bulletin.

We're learning today that US officials quietly sat down with representatives of Yemen's Iran-backed Houthis over the weekend, holding a secret meeting at the American Embassy in Oman just days after the group launched a major offensive along Yemen's Red Sea coast. Reuters says the meeting took place in Muscat, with Omani representatives helping to arrange the talks. On the Houthi side were two senior officials, including Mohammed Abdel Salam, the group's chief negotiator, who's currently under US sanctions. The American delegation was reportedly made up of embassy personnel. The State Department has not confirmed that the meeting took place. And what the Houthis reportedly told Washington is, well, rather interesting. According to Reuters, the group said it has no intention of attacking American vessels and remains committed to the ceasefire that it reached with the US last year. One source said the Houthis also pledged not to attack Israeli ships or other commercial vessels with one important exception, and that would be vessels owned or linked or otherwise associated with Saudi Arabia. In other words, the Houthis appear to be telling Washington that they have no interest in reopening their fight with the US, even as they prepare for a much larger confrontation with Saudi Arabia. Of course, not to point out the obvious, I think I'm about to, but the Houthis are essentially an Iranian regime proxy. The IRGC has supplied the Houthis over the years with weapons, training, munitions, guidance and other support. What benefits the Houthis benefits the Iranian regime. Credible Reporting has noted that IRGC commanders are based in Yemen, providing support to the Houthis. The Houthis meeting with the US was in all likelihood directed by the IRGC.

Keeping the US out of any confrontation allows the Houthis to strengthen their position against the Saudi-backed Yemeni forces, which as mentioned by definition strengthens the Iranian regime's position.

Now, there had already been signs that some kind of contact was underway. President Trump said Saturday that the Iran-backed Houthis had reached out to his administration, asking the US to stay out of the renewed fighting in Yemen. Vice President JD. Vance then said Monday that Washington was in direct contact with the group without offering details.

Over the past week, Houthi forces have swept through positions held by Saudi-backed forces along Yemen's western coast. They have taken effective control of nearly the entire Yemeni coastline along the Red Sea, including the historic port of Moqa and sea territory on Perim Island, inside the Bab al-Mandeb Strait. That puts the Houthis in an even stronger position around one of the most important shipping choke points in the world.

And Saudi Arabia is now responding with force. Officials with the Saudi-backed Yemeni government say Saudi and Yemeni aircraft have stepped up strikes on Houthi positions. The Houthis claim Saudi Arabia has carried out hundreds of airstrikes this week, though that number has not been independently confirmed. Meanwhile, the Houthis have repeatedly launched missiles and drones into Saudi Arabia. On Monday, Saudi officials said 13 civilians were wounded in Houthi attacks. And on Tuesday, Riyadh said its air defenses intercepted a Houthi drone south of Mecca before it entered restricted airspace over Islam's holiest city.

The Houthis deny that they were targeting Mecca and accuse Saudi Arabia of using the incident for propaganda. Saudi officials say any threat to the holy city crosses a red line.

And all of this leaves Washington in an unusual and difficult position. Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman called President Trump last week, seeking American military assistance against the Houthis. He also met Monday with CENTCOM Commander Admiral Brad Cooper in Jeddah.

But so far, US support has reportedly been limited to intelligence assistance, and Washington has declined to directly join the Saudi military campaign. So, at nearly the same moment that Saudi Arabia is asking Washington for more help fighting the Houthis, American officials are quietly meeting with the Houthis and receiving assurances that they don't want to fight the US., which again, not to beat a dead horse, plays into the hands of the Iranian regime.