The U.S. is talking with Houthi leaders to try and end the Yemen war, official says

Yemen Conflict.
(Image credit: Mohammed Huwais/Getty Images)

The U.S. is once again moving to end the war in Yemen.

U.S. officials are "narrowly focused" on ending the Yemen conflict and "having talks" with the Houthi rebels to do so, David Schenker, the U.S. assistant secretary of state for near eastern affairs, told Al Jazeera on Thursday in Saudi Arabia. This marks the first time the U.S. and the Iran-backed Houthis have talked in four years, though a Houthi leader wouldn't confirm or deny if the discussions were happening at all.

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The U.S. has supported the Yemeni government and Saudi bombing campaigns against the Houthis since 2015. Resulting famine and conflict have killed thousands of civilians in Yemen. Congress voted to end America's involvement in Yemen earlier this year, but President Trump vetoed the resolution.

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Kathryn is a graduate of Syracuse University, with degrees in magazine journalism and information technology, along with hours to earn another degree after working at SU's independent paper The Daily Orange. She's currently recovering from a horse addiction while living in New York City, and likes to share her extremely dry sense of humor on Twitter.