American officials held secret talks with Iranian officials in an attempt to get the Iranian government to use its influence over the Houthis in Yemen to end their attacks on ships in the Red Sea, according to a new report Thursday.

The Financial Times reports that American and Iranian officials met to exchange messages in Oman in January, the first time representatives from the two countries had met in 10 months, according to anonymous American and Iranian officials.

“We have many channels for passing messages to Iran,” an American state department official told the Financial Times, adding that “since October 7, all of them have been focused on raising the full range of threats emanating from Iran, and the need for Iran to cease its across-the-board escalation.”

Another set of negotiations had been scheduled for February and was to be led by the White House’s Middle East adviser, Brett McGurk, who also led the first round. However, Mr. McGurk postponed the exchange after becoming involved with efforts to negotiate a halt to the war at Gaza.

Omani officials acted as intermediaries, delivering messages between the Americans and Iranian officials, who were led by foreign minister Ali Bagheri.

Since the October 7 attacks the Houthis have been striking merchant ships and American naval ships in the Red Sea. Iranian officials maintained in a conversation with the Financial Times that Iran supports the Houthis but that the group acts independently of Tehran.

“Iran has repeatedly said it only has a form of spiritual influence [over the rebels]. They can’t dictate to the Houthis, but they can negotiate and talk,” an Iranian official told the Financial Times.

American forces have responded to the Houthis attacks by bombing more than a dozen Houthi sites, though the bombings do not appear to have deterred further attacks.

Since the Financial Times broke the news of the meetings, Iran’s state news agency IRNA quoted an official as saying the meetings were focused on the lifting of American sanctions.

“The removal of oppressive sanctions has always been on the priority agenda of the Iranian side,” the agency reported an official as saying. “The Islamic republic of Iran has continued in this field.”