Houthi militia prepare for fresh assault on Yemeni army

Houthi efforts to smuggle Iranian weaponry into Yemen and their deployment of troops near major cities suggest the group is preparing for a fresh ground assault, military analysts and officials said on Thursday.

The warning came after a British warship captured a small consignment of arms, including ballistic missile components and a haul of Dehlavieh, the Iranian equivalent of the Russian-made 9M133 Kornet anti-tank weapon, during the search of a boat sailing from Iran on Feb. 23.

A helicopter from the Royal Navy frigate HMS Lancaster stopped the vessel before it could reenter Iranian territorial water, the British Defense Ministry said.

Yemeni authorities captured the same sort of anti-tank missile near the Shahen border crossing with Oman in 2022, according to the UN Panel of Experts on Yemen, which assessed the confiscated missiles in Yemen.

In the last two months, the US, France and local Yemeni authorities have seized thousands of assault rifles, ammunition, anti-tank missiles and other weapons coming from Iran.

Yemen’s peace efforts have been stalled since October when the Houthis refused to renew a UN-brokered truce. The group threatened to launch attacks if the government refused its demands to share oil revenue and pay employees in areas under Houthi control.

Yemeni military officers believe the Houthis have smuggled weapons from Iran and amassed fighters outside key cities such as Marib and Taiz in preparation.

During the 40th session of the Arab Interior Ministers Council in Tunisia on Wednesday, Yemen’s Interior Minister Maj. Gen. Ibrahim Haydan called for intensified international efforts to stop the flow of weapons and drugs into Yemen, stating that his country’s coastguard, the Coalition to Restore Legitimacy in Yemen, and the international navies have intercepted numerous shipments of weapons and drugs.

The seizure by the Royal Navy comes after others by French and US forces, and as Western powers increase pressure on Iran as it continues to enrich uranium closer than ever to weapons-grade levels.