Iranian Weapons-Smuggling to Yemen’s Houthis Passes through 3 Countries

Houthi fighters hold up their weapons as they attend a tribal gathering in Sana’a, Yemen June 20, 2016. (Reuters)
Houthi fighters hold up their weapons as they attend a tribal gathering in Sana’a, Yemen June 20, 2016. (Reuters)
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Iranian Weapons-Smuggling to Yemen’s Houthis Passes through 3 Countries

Houthi fighters hold up their weapons as they attend a tribal gathering in Sana’a, Yemen June 20, 2016. (Reuters)
Houthi fighters hold up their weapons as they attend a tribal gathering in Sana’a, Yemen June 20, 2016. (Reuters)

The Arab Coalition Supporting Yemen's Legitimacy showed evidence on Monday of the Iranian tactics to smuggle qualitative weapons to Houthi militias in Yemen and modernize outdated arms.

It added that the smuggling process starts from Lebanese “Hezbollah”-controlled regions in Syria, then passes through Iraq and Iran before reaching Yemen.

Tehran also supplies militias with experts and modern techniques to manufacture remote-controlled explosives-laden speedboats to use them in attacks against ships and therefore affect the navigation in the Red Sea, Gulf of Aden and Arabian Sea.

Kuwaiti expert Dr. Fahd al-Shulaimy highlighted the Iranian smuggling operations, saying that the missiles need technical skills to be launched and tools to be directed. These tools and skills are not found among the former Yemeni regime.

The development of the missiles is taking place by Iranian cadres and in cooperation with “Hezbollah”, he explained. He also noted that “Hezbollah” cadres received training in Iraq and moved to Yemen.

Shulaimy told Asharq Al-Awsat that the number of ballistic missiles is not huge because they are launched intermittently. Their aim is not to destruct specific targets, but to intimidate, restore confidence of insurgents, draw attention of the media towards them and achieve political gains.

The Arab Coalition also addressed mines planted by Houthis, revealing that around 50,000 mines were planted at the Saudi border, which represents a threat to civilians.

Furthermore, a Yemeni official said that Iran is exploiting the weak supervision on international passages near Hodeida Port to smuggle ballistic missiles through dismantling, loading and refurbishing them by 75 Iranian experts spread in several cities.



NKorea's Kim Again Threatens to Use Nuclear Weapons against SKorea, US

This picture taken on October 7, 2024 and released from North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) via KNS on October 8, 2024 shows North Korean leader Kim Jong Un delivering a speech at Kim Jong Un University of National Defense for its 60th founding anniversary in Pyongyang. (Photo by KCNA VIA KNS / AFP)
This picture taken on October 7, 2024 and released from North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) via KNS on October 8, 2024 shows North Korean leader Kim Jong Un delivering a speech at Kim Jong Un University of National Defense for its 60th founding anniversary in Pyongyang. (Photo by KCNA VIA KNS / AFP)
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NKorea's Kim Again Threatens to Use Nuclear Weapons against SKorea, US

This picture taken on October 7, 2024 and released from North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) via KNS on October 8, 2024 shows North Korean leader Kim Jong Un delivering a speech at Kim Jong Un University of National Defense for its 60th founding anniversary in Pyongyang. (Photo by KCNA VIA KNS / AFP)
This picture taken on October 7, 2024 and released from North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) via KNS on October 8, 2024 shows North Korean leader Kim Jong Un delivering a speech at Kim Jong Un University of National Defense for its 60th founding anniversary in Pyongyang. (Photo by KCNA VIA KNS / AFP)

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un warned again that he could use nuclear weapons in potential conflicts with South Korea and the United States, as he accused them of provoking North Korea and raising animosities on the Korean Peninsula, state media reported Tuesday.
Kim has issued similar threats to use nuclear weapons preemptively numerous times, but his latest warning came as outside experts say North Korea could ramp up hostilities ahead of next month’s US presidential election.
In a Monday speech at a university named after him, the Kim Jong Un University of National Defense, he said that North Korea "will without hesitation use all its attack capabilities against its enemies” if they attempt to use armed forces” against North Korea, according to the North’s official Korean Central News Agency.
“The use of nuclear weapons is not ruled out in this case,” The Associated Press quoted him as saying.
Kim said North Korea’s nuclear response posture must be fully enhanced because South Korea and the United States are pushing to beef up their military alliance based on joint nuclear and strategic planning, a move that he said would increase the danger of breaking the balance of power on the Korean Peninsula.
North Korea earlier said its rubber-stamp parliament was to meet on Oct. 7. But as of Tuesday, state media hasn't said whether the parliament meeting began as scheduled.
Observers say the parliament meeting was likely meant to constitutionally declare a hostile “two-state” system on the Korean Peninsula to formally reject reconciliation with South Korea and codify new national borders. In January, Kim ordered the rewriting of the constitution to remove the long-running state goal of a peaceful Korean unification and cement South Korea as an “invariable principal enemy.”
All exchange and cooperation programs between the two Koreas remain dormant since a broader US-North Korea diplomacy on the North's nuclear program collapsed in 2019.
Since late May, North Korea has floated thousands of trash-carrying balloons toward South Korea, reviving a Cold War-style psychological campaign. On Tuesday, South Korea's military said.