The Yemeni government warned of an expanding threat posed by the terrorist Houthi militia to regional security and international navigation, citing growing Iranian involvement in managing Houthi military operations and growing ties with terrorist organizations in the Horn of Africa. The warning coincided with continued Houthi attacks on civilians and the tightening of the siege on the city of Taiz.
Yemeni Foreign Minister Afrah Al-Zouba presented these concerns during a series of meetings in Berlin with German officials and experts at think tanks and research centers specialized in Yemeni affairs.
The discussions addressed the developments of the Houthi escalation since last June, as well as its military, humanitarian, and security repercussions on Yemen and the wider region.
Al-Zouba stated that the Houthis intensified their attacks following the landing of an aircraft belonging to Iran's Mahan Air, which is linked to the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), at Hodeidah airport.
She explained that the plane carried Iranian experts, funds, and advanced weaponry to support Houthi military operations, in direct violation of Yemeni sovereignty and international laws and resolutions.
The escalation reached the west coast and Bab al-Mandeb regions prior to a government deployment under Operation Dawn of Yemen.
Authorities cautioned against renewed efforts by the militia to expand along the west coast, threaten shipping lanes in the Red Sea and Bab al-Mandeb Strait, and leverage maritime corridors to pressure the international community.
Meeting with German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul, Al-Zouba warned that the Houthi threat extends beyond Yemen's borders, pointing to the militia’s targeting of Saudi territory and international shipping lanes, and the resulting risks to regional security and global energy and food supplies.
She presented the Yemeni government's announcements regarding the participation of experts from the IRGC and Hezbollah in managing Houthi operations, in addition to the group's links with terrorist organizations in the Horn of Africa, chief among them the Somali Al-Shabaab movement.
These ties raise the level of threat to maritime security and regional stability, she warned.
The two sides discussed ways to develop the capabilities of the Yemeni Coast Guard to protect territorial waters and secure international trade routes, while strengthening bilateral consultation and information exchange regarding security developments in Yemen and the region.
Al-Zouba delivered a written letter from Chairman of the Presidential Leadership Council Dr. Rashad Al-Alimi to German Chancellor Friedrich Merz.
The message addressed bilateral relations, regional issues, and the latest updates on the situation in Yemen.
On the humanitarian level, Al-Zouba highlighted the Houthi siege on the city of Taiz, the targeting of civilian and health facilities, and the resulting closure of medical centers, medicine shortages, and lack of safe corridors, warning of catastrophic impacts on civilians.
She detailed the Houthi recruitment of child soldiers, indiscriminate landmine deployment, and the ongoing detention of UN and humanitarian personnel, noting the death of several detainees including UN staff member Mohammed Ibrahim Al-Shami.
