Oman's Foreign Minister, Sayyid Badr bin Hamad Al Busaidi, met the United Nations Special Envoy for Yemen, Hans Grundberg, in Muscat on Sunday to discuss the situation in Yemen and the wider regional escalation. The meeting took place as UN-led efforts to de-escalate the conflict continue against a backdrop of renewed fighting across the region.

According to Oman's Foreign Ministry, the talks covered the latest developments in Yemen and their implications for regional security and stability. The two sides also discussed UN efforts to calm tensions and lay the groundwork for a political process leading to a comprehensive and sustainable settlement that meets the expectations of the Yemeni people.

What was discussed in Muscat

The meeting was reported by Qatar News Agency and confirmed by Oman's Foreign Ministry, whose website listed a meeting between the minister and the UN envoy on 8 November. Yemen Monitor, reporting on the talks, said the Omani ministry described the discussions as covering developments in Yemen and the effects of the current escalation on regional security.

As of the time of publication, Grundberg's office had not issued its own statement on the meeting. The talks in Muscat were part of the envoy's continuing shuttle diplomacy, which has taken him to regional capitals as he tries to keep a political track alive while fighting on the ground intensifies.

Oman has long played a mediating role in Yemen. Muscat hosted rounds of talks between the warring parties in earlier phases of the conflict, and Omani officials have maintained contacts with the Houthi movement as well as with Yemen's internationally recognised government and its regional backers.

Oman's mediating role

The Muscat meeting came days after Oman held a telephone call with Iran's Foreign Minister, Abbas Araghchi, on 5 November about efforts to resume navigation through the Strait of Hormuz without obstacles. Oman's Foreign Ministry said at the time that both sides had stressed the need for understandings to ensure maritime safety and prevent further confrontation.

Oman's position as a neutral intermediary has made it a frequent stopping point for envoys working on Yemen and on the wider confrontation between the United States, Israel and Iran. Qatar has also been mediating between Washington and Tehran, while Oman has kept its own channels open to both sides.

Yemen's war back in full force

The diplomatic activity comes as Yemen's war has returned to full intensity. Fighting between the Saudi-led coalition and the Iran-aligned Houthis resumed in July, breaking a United Nations-brokered truce agreed in 2022. The United Nations says more than 1,600 people have been killed and almost 300,000 displaced since then.

The Houthis, who control the capital Sanaa and much of northern Yemen, have stepped up missile and drone attacks on Saudi Arabia in recent days, including strikes aimed at Riyadh. The Saudi-led coalition has responded with air strikes across Yemen, and both sides have reported mounting casualties.

The conflict has also deepened Yemen's humanitarian crisis. The United Nations says 71 of its personnel remain in Houthi detention, and the world body has demanded their immediate release after a UN human rights worker died in Houthi custody. Aid agencies warn that millions of Yemenis depend on humanitarian assistance, and that the renewed fighting is making deliveries harder.

For now, there is no sign of an imminent breakthrough. Grundberg has said Yemen can no longer endure further delays, and has urged the parties to take decisive action. Whether the talks in Muscat can open a path back to negotiations will depend on whether the regional escalation that has engulfed Yemen can be contained first.