By Al-Fassel | 2024-11-06

The Houthis have received "unprecedented" military support from outside sources, particularly Iran and Hizbullah, according to a United Nations (UN) panel of experts on Yemen published November 1.

This has helped them transform "from a localized armed group with limited capabilities to a powerful military organization, extending their operational capabilities well beyond the territories under their control," the report said.

Since the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war, the Houthis have "exploited the regional situation and enhanced cooperation" with the so-called "axis of resistance," it said.

The report, which analyzed the period from September 2023 through July 2024, said the transformation was aided by the transfer of military materiel and financial support, AFP reported.

The Houthis also benefited from training and technical assistance provided by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Quds Force, Lebanese Hizbullah and Iran-aligned Iraqi militias, the UN experts said.

"Joint operational centers have been set up in Iraq and Lebanon, with Houthi representation, aimed at coordinating joint military actions," they said, referring to legation offices and operations rooms set up with the support of the IRGC.

"The scale, nature and extent of transfers of diverse military material technology provided to the Houthis from external sources, including financial support and training of its combatants, is unprecedented," the report warned.

Hizbullah is key supporter

The report is based on testimony from military experts, Yemeni officials and sources close to the Houthis.

Experts found the Houthis lack the ability to "develop and produce complex weapon systems" themselves, such as the missiles they have used to target ships in the Red Sea.

But they also said some of the group's weapons bear similarities with equipment used by Iran and Iran-backed groups.

Houthi fighters are being trained outside Yemen, either in Iran or at Hizbullah training facilities in Lebanon, the panel said.

Hizbullah is named as one of the Houthis' "most important supporters" due to its involvement in decision-making, support for assembling weapons systems, financing, "ideological guidance" and propaganda efforts.

The Houthis also have carried out a vast recruitment project, resulting in a force of 350,000 in mid-2024, as compared with 220,000 in 2022.

This has included Somali pirates and Yemeni fishermen hired to smuggle weapons and convey Iranian missile and drone technology into the country.

"While the panel has not been able to independently verify the number of newly recruited fighters, a large-scale mobilization would be a matter of concern," the report said.

The Houthis have carried out more than 100 attacks over nearly a year, killing four sailors and sinking two ships, while one vessel and its crew remain detained since being hijacked last November.