U.S. secures the release of 2 Americans from Yemen in exchange for 250 Iran-backed Yemeni militants


A free daily digest of the biggest news stories of the day - and the best features from our website
Thank you for signing up to TheWeek. You will receive a verification email shortly.
There was a problem. Please refresh the page and try again.
Two U.S. citizens and the remains of a third American were released by Houthi rebels in Yemen on Wednesday in a surprise exchange that sent about 250 Yemeni militants back to the country. Sandra Loli, a U.S. aid worker held hostage for three years, and businessman Mikael Gidada, detained for a year, were flown to Oman, along with the remains of Bilal Fateen. Between 240 and 283 Yemeni rebels stuck in Oman for several years were flown to Sanaa, Yemen's capital, with reluctant agreement from Saudi Arabia. The deal also included medical aid for Yemen, The Wall Street Journal reports.
Saudi Arabia, which has been battling the Iranian-backed Houthis in a bloody civil war since 2014, was "especially concerned about three dozen Houthi fighters being sent back to Yemen who they said had received specialized training in Iran on drones and missiles," the Journal reports. "The U.S.-backed deal between the Houthis and Saudi Arabia includes the largest known agreement to allow armed adversaries of the U.S. and its allies to return to an active conflict zone."
President Trump has emphasized the return of U.S. hostages held abroad. "We will not rest until those held are home with their loved ones," said national security adviser Robert O'Brien, Trump's former lead hostage negotiator. Senior Houthi political leader Muhammad Ali al-Houthi was also pleased with the exchange. "We congratulate the wounded on their return to the homeland after a long wait that was supposed to not happen because of the criminality of the Saudi American aggression," he said.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Houthi told The Washington Post that negotiations had been underway for months and speculated that "the American administration wants to benefit from the delay by, on one hand, demonizing the Yemeni people and, on the other hand, highlighting a success for it in its upcoming election campaign." The White House called that claim "patently and categorically false" and also denied Houthi's suggestion that the American hostages had been detained for suspicious or unlawful activity.
The proxy war in Yemen between Saudi Arabia and Iran has killed more than 112,000 people and spawned one of the world's worst humanitarian crises. There is bipartisan opposition in Congress to U.S. military support for the Saudi offensive, and Trump vetoed a bill that would have ended that support.
Continue reading for free
We hope you're enjoying The Week's refreshingly open-minded journalism.
Subscribed to The Week? Register your account with the same email as your subscription.
Sign up to our 10 Things You Need to Know Today newsletter
A free daily digest of the biggest news stories of the day - and the best features from our website
Peter Weber is a senior editor at TheWeek.com, and has handled the editorial night shift since the website launched in 2008. A graduate of Northwestern University, Peter has worked at Facts on File and The New York Times Magazine. He speaks Spanish and Italian and plays bass and rhythm cello in an Austin rock band. Follow him on Twitter.
-
Laurence Fox suspended by GB News after 'unacceptable' Ava Evans comments
Broadcaster issues apology after actor goes on a tirade during a live interview with Dan Wootton
By Arion McNicoll, The Week UK Published
-
The daily business briefing: September 27, 2023
Business Briefing The FTC accuses Amazon of running an illegal online monopoly, Biden visits auto workers on picket line, and more
By Harold Maass Published
-
Seaham Hall review: serenity on the coast in County Durham
The Week Recommends Former haunt of Lord Byron is pure poetry when it comes to spa options in the north-east
By Jamie Timson, The Week UK Published
-
More than 2,000 dead following massive earthquake in Morocco
Speed Read
By Justin Klawans Published
-
Mexico's next president will almost certainly be its 1st female president
Speed Read
By Peter Weber Published
-
North Korea's Kim to visit Putin in eastern Russia to discuss arms sales for Ukraine war, U.S. says
Speed Read
By Peter Weber Published
-
Gabon's military leader sworn in following coup in latest African uprising
Speed Read
By Justin Klawans Published
-
Nobody seems surprised Wagner's Prigozhin died under suspicious circumstances
Speed Read
By Peter Weber Published
-
Western mountain climbers allegedly left Pakistani porter to die on K2
Speed Read
By Justin Klawans Published
-
'Circular saw blades' divide controversial Rio Grande buoys installed by Texas governor
Speed Read
By Peter Weber Published
-
Los Angeles city workers stage 1-day walkout over labor conditions
Speed Read
By Justin Klawans Published