Yemen (South24) 

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The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) quoted U.S. envoy to Yemen Tim Lenderking as saying that the Houthis’ collaboration with Somalia’s al-Shabaab terrorist group is “quite extensive,” noting that the two groups are discussing ways to further “menace and threaten freedom of navigation in the Red Sea.”

“One of the unfortunate offshoots of the Gaza conflict is…that the Houthis have doubled down on their contacts with other malign actors in the region and beyond,” said Timothy Lenderking, the U.S. special envoy for Yemen,” Lenderking, the U.S. special envoy for Yemen, was quoted as saying in the October 30 WSJ report.

Lenderking described this trend as “very alarming,” and emphasized that the US is consulting with its regional partners on how to respond.

Lenderking mentioned that countries such as Saudi Arabia, Oman, and Djibouti have expressed concerns, and the US is discussing with its allies increased intelligence sharing and measures to prevent arms transfers.

According to the WSJ, a recent UN report prepared by a group of experts “found extensive evidence of Houthi cooperation with foreign militant groups.” The report cited cases of Houthi joint-operations centers in Iraq and Lebanon, established to coordinate the military actions of Iran-backed groups.

The UN report also detailed Houthi agreements to transfer drones, thermal rockets, and explosive devices to al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) and discussions of joint attacks targeting the internationally recognized Aden-based Yemeni government and maritime interests.

According to the WSJ, “the Houthis also are looking to find new ways to get arms supplies and funding abroad, including from Moscow.”

“Viktor Bout, the Russian arms dealer exchanged almost two years ago in a trade for U.S. basketball star Brittney Griner, is trying to sell the Houthis assault rifles,” the report added.

A Western security official, quoted by the WSJ, said that in April, a Russian warship  evacuated Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps commander Abdul Reza Shahlai—who oversees Iran’s missile and drone program in Yemen—from the port of Hodeidah.

The US is offering a $15 million reward for the Iranian commander for his role in a plot to assassinate the Saudi ambassador in Washington and a separate attack that would have killed 200 civilians on U.S. soil.

Both the WSJ and UN reports align with statements from Southern forces affiliated with the Southern Transitional Council (STC), which accuse the Houthis of supplying AQAP with drones used in attacks on Southern soldiers in Abyan and Shabwa.

Since May 2023, AQAP has deployed drones in multiple strikes against Southern forces in the Al-Masina’a area of Al-Saieed district in Shabwa, with similar operations occurring in Abyan Governorate in recent months.