LONDON: The US special envoy for Yemen will visit Saudi Arabia and Oman this week for talks on recent attacks by the Houthi militia on vessels in the Red Sea and surrounding waterways, which have disrupted international maritime traffic, the US State Department said on Monday.

Tim Lenderking will meet officials in Riyadh and Muscat “to discuss the need for an immediate cessation of Houthi attacks in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, which are undermining progress on the Yemen peace process and the delivery of humanitarian assistance to Yemen and other countries in need,” it added.

The Houthi campaign of drone and missile attacks targeting shipping in the Red Sea began in November. The group has said their intention is to apply pressure on Israel to halt its war in Gaza.

The US and UK have responded by launching airstrikes targeting Houthi sites in Yemen to prevent the group from endangering freedom of navigation and threatening global trade.

“The United States remains firmly committed to supporting a durable peace in Yemen and alleviating the complex humanitarian and economic crises harming the Yemeni people,” the State Department said.

Washington “supports a return to UN-led peace efforts once the Houthis halt their indiscriminate attacks,” it added.

Lenderking will meet regional officials to discuss ways to deescalate the crisis and “renew the focus on securing a durable peace for the Yemeni people.”