Saudi Arabia reportedly plans to restore half of the capacity of a key pipeline within days, bringing to light secret contacts between the United States and the Houthi rebels.

Saudi Arabia is struggling to repair the energy arteries disrupted by drone attacks, while geopolitical rivalry over the Red Sea and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait is quietly escalating.

According to CCTV News, citing a US source on Wednesday, September 16, US officials recently met with representatives of the Houthi rebels in Muscat, the capital of Oman. The meeting took place at the US Embassy in Muscat over the weekend of September 12-13.

According to Reuters, citing sources familiar with the matter, the Houthis told the US that they did not intend to attack US or Israeli ships and claimed they would abide by the 2025 bilateral ceasefire agreement. One Yemeni source said the Houthis also stated that they would not attack any commercial vessels, except for Saudi ships.

The above information has not yet been officially confirmed by any party. Recent reports indicate that, under pressure from pipeline disruptions and forced rerouting of export routes, Saudi Arabia is striving to restore about half of the capacity of the East-West oil pipeline within days, while simultaneously increasing spot sales near the Strait of Hormuz. Meanwhile, a little-known contact between the United States and the Houthi rebels has been revealed, adding further uncertainty to this already highly tense waterway.

This contact signal has further complicated market assessments of the situation in the Red Sea. London Brent crude oil prices have broken through $107 per barrel, after the disruption of the East-West pipeline had already put millions of barrels of daily exports at risk. Saudi Aramco's increased spot sales near Hormuz and the informal contacts between the US and the Hunchuns both point to a highly uncertain situation: Saudi Arabia is bearing the pressure alone, while Washington's position remains ambiguous.

The pipeline rerouting plan is progressing, with the goal of full restoration within six weeks.

According to Bloomberg, citing a source who requested anonymity due to the sensitivity of the matter, Saudi Aramco is working to bypass the damaged section of the East-West oil pipeline, aiming to restore about half of the pipeline's capacity within days and strive for full operation in about six weeks. Neither Saudi Aramco nor the Saudi Ministry of Energy commented on the matter.

The East-West Pipeline runs through the entire territory of Saudi Arabia, connecting the eastern oil fields with the Red Sea port of Yanbu. During the period when the Strait of Hormuz was impacted by the war with Iran, it was a key channel for Saudi Arabia to avoid the risks of the strait and ensure exports.

Following last week's drone attack that shut down pipelines, the extent of transport capacity and the timing of resumption have become key variables closely monitored by crude oil traders. Currently, the aforementioned timeline remains an internal target for Aramco, rather than an official commitment.

Saudi Aramco turns to Hormuz for large-scale spot sales to Asian buyers

Following the shutdown of the east-west pipeline, Saudi Aramco has quickly adjusted its export strategy.

According to Bloomberg, citing multiple traders familiar with the deal, Saudi Aramco sold approximately 20 million barrels of crude oil to Asian refiners this week, which will be available for loading and pickup outside the Strait of Hormuz between September and October. Buyers include Chinese refineries and other East Asian importers.

The aforementioned cargoes were loaded in the Gulf of Oman on a ship-to-ship basis, meaning the buyer's pick-up point was outside the Strait of Hormuz, and the shipping risk across the strait was borne by the seller, not the buyer. Meanwhile, Aramco also delayed deliveries of some cargoes from the Red Sea port of Yanbu to European customers and at least one East Asian refinery; the extent of the delays is unclear. Bloomberg had previously reported on this separately.

This shift in export routes signifies that Saudi Arabia is forced to re-rely on its traditional Persian Gulf-Hormuz export route after the pipeline supply disruption, despite the continued shipping security risks associated with that route.

The US and Hu met in Oman over the weekend, with all parties issuing cautious statements.

There are still significant discrepancies in the information provided by various parties regarding this contact.

According to Reuters, the meeting was arranged by the Omani government, which has long played a role in regional mediation. Three sources familiar with the matter said the meeting took place at the US Embassy in Muscat; the US side was reportedly represented by embassy staff. The Houthi delegation reportedly included Mohammad Abdulsalam, a senior official based in Muscat currently under US sanctions, and another senior official, Abdelmalik al-Ajiri.

When asked about the meeting, a U.S. State Department spokesperson did not confirm it, stating only that ensuring freedom of navigation in the Red Sea and preventing the spread of terrorism in the Middle East are core U.S. interests. Neither the Omani Embassy in the U.S. nor Abdulsalam responded to requests for comment.

On September 12, Trump publicly stated that the Houthis had contacted the US saying they "did not want to go to war with the United States." US Vice President Vance also stated on Monday that the US was in direct contact with the Houthis, but did not provide details.

The Houthi rebels' aggressive advance has put the United States in a dilemma.

The context of this contact is the significant expansion of the Houthi rebels in the Yemeni battlefield.

According to Reuters and Israeli media reports, the Houthi rebels had completed their de facto control of the entire Red Sea coastline of Yemen last week, including the historic port city of Mocha and Parim Island, known as the "Gate of Tears" at the entrance to the Bab el-Mandeb Strait—a key bottleneck in global oil supply.

According to reports, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman called Trump last week seeking U.S. military support, but Washington said it would not intervene directly.

According to CCTV News, Li Zixin, a Middle East expert at the China Institute of International Studies, pointed out that the United States is currently in a dilemma: the Saudi Crown Prince's requests for assistance were rejected twice in one day, with the US only willing to provide intelligence support; while the Houthi rebels continue to attack Saudi targets, they are also sending signals to the United States that they have no intention of expanding the blockade of the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.

Li Zixin believes that the Houthi rebels have occupied all key geographical locations and possess the ability to maintain control of the country with shore-based footholds, thus creating a low-cost, high-leverage asymmetric advantage over the United States, which greatly limits Washington's options for military intervention.

Meanwhile, the Houthi military operations did not cease due to the contact.

According to Israeli media, Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree stated that missile and drone strikes had been launched this week against Aramco facilities in Yanbu and the Khamis Mushait airbase in southern Saudi Arabia. The Saudi-led coalition also accused the Houthis of attacking an area near the holy city of Mecca on Tuesday, claiming that its air defense system intercepted and destroyed a Houthi drone before it entered a no-fly zone. The Houthis denied attacking Mecca.

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