Washington is in talks with the Houthis aimed at finding a mutually acceptable solution to the Yemen conflict, US Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs David Schenker said during a visit to Saudi Arabia.
Speaking to reporters, Schenker said Washington was in talks with the Houthis in a bid to find a solution satisfactory to both sides in the conflict in Yemen, stressing the United States seeks to end the war in the country.
The Wall Street Journal reported last week that the United States was preparing for direct talks with the Houthis.
For his part, denied Mohamed Bakhiti member of the political office of the Houthi group in his talk to the island of the group talks with the US side.
It is not the first time America has had contacts with the Houthi group.Under the administration of former President Barack Obama, US officials briefly contacted the Houthis in June 2015 to persuade them to participate in UN-sponsored peace talks in Geneva.
For the fifth year in a row, Yemen has been locked in a war between pro-government forces and al-Houthi gunmen accused of receiving Iranian support and in control of provinces including Sanaa since September 2014.
Since March 2015, the Saudi-UAE coalition has been waging a war in Yemen to counter the Houthis, and fighting has killed 70,000 people since the beginning of 2016, according to UN estimates in mid-June.