By Anas al-Bar | 2024-08-08

The Houthis are strengthening ties with so-called "axis of resistance" militias in the region by opening a legation office in Baghdad with the support of Iraqi militias backed by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), sources said.

Houthi leader Ahmed al-Sharafi ("Abu Idris") will head the legation, based in al-Jadriya district, according to various media reports. He has close ties to Iraqi militia leaders, including Asaib Ahl al-Haq's Qais al-Khazaali.

The legation has been visiting cities in southern Iraq and meeting with supporters. Its members attended a sit-in at the Iraq-Jordan border in support of "axis" member Hamas, and gatherings in support of Lebanese Hizbullah.

The Houthis are looking toward a more "complex" relationship with their Iraqi counterparts, political analyst Tariq al-Shammari told al-Fassel, pointing to reports of a "joint operations room" in Baghdad.

"The relationship between the two sides is not new but has existed at the highest level for years," al-Shammari said.

In mid-2021, reports said Iranian regime-backed Iraqi militia Kataib Hizbullah was organizing training courses for the Houthis on the manufacture and use of drones, with regime instructors, in Jurf al-Sakhar and the Karbala desert.

Jurf al-Sakhar is a "closed-access military base" south of Baghdad used by Kataib Hizbullah and other regime-backed militias.

In 2022, Kataib Hizbullah conducted campaigns to raise funds for the Houthis' drone manufacturing program.

Houthis' presence in Iraq

A "high ranking" Houthi drone specialist was killed in a July 30 US air strike at a drone facility near Jurf al-Sakhar, according to various media reports.

The strike targeted militants as they prepared an attack on US forces, the Washington Post reported.

The Houthis confirmed the death of Hussein Abdullah Mastour al-Shaabel ("Abu Jihad"), who hailed from Maran, Saada province, Yemen, Asharq al-Awsat reported.

The presence of a Houthi drone specialist in Jurf al-Sakhar highlights the close ties between the Houthis and regime-backed Iraqi militias, Yemeni Information Minister Muammar al-Eryani said.

The Houthis claimed they had attacked the Israeli port of Eilat on July 8 with the participation of Iraqi militias, while Houthi leader Abdul-Malik al-Houthi on June 27 claimed joint attacks on Israel had been carried out with Iraqi groups.

Earlier this year, Kataib Hizbullah chief Abu Hussein al-Hamidawi said he supported the Houthis' attacks on maritime traffic.

Al-Shammari emphasized "the harm caused by this relationship between Iran's affiliates to the security and interests of Iraqis, and its impact in terms of aggravating the situation and expanding the circle of violence."