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evidence on Monday of the Iranian tactics to smuggle qualitative weapons to Houthi militias in Yemen and modernize outdated arms.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.



Israel's UN Mission Doesn’t Invite Secretary-General to Ceremony

UN Secretary General Antَnio Guterres looks on at a Security Council meeting on the situation in the Middle East at the United Nations headquarters on October 2, 2024 in New York. (AFP)
UN Secretary General Antَnio Guterres looks on at a Security Council meeting on the situation in the Middle East at the United Nations headquarters on October 2, 2024 in New York. (AFP)
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Israel's UN Mission Doesn’t Invite Secretary-General to Ceremony

UN Secretary General Antَnio Guterres looks on at a Security Council meeting on the situation in the Middle East at the United Nations headquarters on October 2, 2024 in New York. (AFP)
UN Secretary General Antَnio Guterres looks on at a Security Council meeting on the situation in the Middle East at the United Nations headquarters on October 2, 2024 in New York. (AFP)

Israel’s mission to the United Nations had an invitation-only guest list for its commemoration of Hamas’ attack in southern Israel a year ago and it didn’t include UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, who was banned from the country last week. No UN official was on the invite list.

Israel’s UN Ambassador Danny Danon told reporters the situation with the secretary-general was “sensitive.”

He asserted at the ceremony that the UN has failed Israel “time and time again,” including failing to condemn Hamas.

Several hundred ambassadors, diplomats, Jewish leaders and students attended the ceremony.

Israel’s Foreign Minister Israel Katz, who declared Guterres “persona non grata” last week, vowed in a video message that Israel will respond “with strength and power” to Iran’s missile attack on Israel last week.

The Israeli ambassador said that “the days when we had to rely on foreign powers to protect us are over,” to applause.