Houthis target Yemeni government with economic warfar

United Nations envoy to Yemen Hans Grundberg expressed on Monday his concern over the movement of the Iran-backed Houthi militias on the ground.

Starting in late 2022, shortly after they refused to renew Yemen’s fragile six-month-old truce on Oct. 2, the Houthis began to escalate against the internationally recognized Republic of Yemen Government (ROYG) in an effort to exhaust its financial resources and provoke social unrest in government-held areas.

On Oct. 21, the Houthis carried out two drone attacks against the al-Dhabba oil terminal in Hadramawt Governorate, disrupting the loading of Petromasila oil onto a Greek tanker. A similar attack took place a few day earlier, on Oct. 19, at the al-Nushaima oil terminal in Shabwa Governorate, without causing any reported damage.

Analysts believe these attacks mark a significant change in Houthi tactics towards the use of economic and remote warfare.

By deliberately targeting energy infrastructure in areas under ROYG control, the Houthis are trying to prevent the government from exporting oil. On Nov. 9 and Nov. 21, the Houthis launched similar drone attacks targeting Qena Port and al-Nushaima terminal in Shabwa, as well as al-Dhabba terminal in Hadramawt, damaging the oil pump at al-Dhabba and forcing the government to halt oil exports.

The Houthis’ strikes on government-controlled critical infrastructure exhibit the same strategic use of Iranian-supported non-conventional warfare tactics seen in their previous cross-border attacks into Gulf countries.

Yemen’s permanent representative to the UN Abdullah al-Saadi urged the Security Council to support the Presidential Leadership Council and his government’s efforts to stop the Houthis’ economic war and arbitrary action against banks and the private sector, as well as the restrictions on movement of goods and humanitarian aid.

Underscoring the importance of collective action to compel the Houthi militias to end the conflict, he regretted that Yemen is missing a true partner in achieving peace.

He commended Saudi Arabia’s support of the Presidential Leadership Council and his government in alleviating humanitarian suffering, while noting that his government has demonstrated flexibility and made unilateral concessions to renew the truce.