US report suggests Houthis may have used Iranian weapons for attacks

11 Jul. (EUROPA PRESS) –

The United States says it has evidence that Yemen’s Houthi rebels have used Iranian-supplied weapons to carry out more than 100 airstrikes against ground targets in Israel, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, as well as attacks on commercial ships in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden.

A report released by the Defense Intelligence Agency, titled “Seized at Sea: Iranian Weapons Smuggled to Houthis,” provides evidence of both weapons and components intercepted by U.S. forces in smuggling operations.

The agency, which published the report in an effort to “improve public understanding of Iran’s malign activities,” compares photographs of the missiles displayed by Tehran with remnants of the projectiles found at the sites of the attacks.

“Between 2015 and 2024, the United States and its partners have intercepted at least 20 smuggling vessels, seizing ballistic missiles, surface-to-air missile components, anti-tank guided missiles, drones, and other illicit weapons destined for the Houthis,” the statement said.

Specifically, on January 11, the US Navy carried out a raid against an Iranian drone traveling near the coast of Somalia, resulting in the seizure of several ballistic and cruise missile components.

On January 28, a US Coast Guard vessel intercepted another unmanned aircraft in the Arabian Sea. The operation resulted in the seizure of components for ballistic and anti-tank guided missiles manufactured in Iran.

The Defense Intelligence Agency cites the example of the Norwegian-flagged tanker ‘STRINDA’, which was attacked on December 11 in the waters of the Red Sea by a cruise missile launched by the Houthis from the coast of Yemen.

“The Iranian Tolu-4 turbojet engine, used in the Noor ASCM (missile) has unique features, including the compressor and stator, which are consistent with engine debris recovered from the 11 December 2023 Houthi attack on the M/T. Strinda,” the report said.

The Houthis, who have controlled the Yemeni capital Sanaa and other areas in the north and west of the country since 2015, have launched several attacks against Israeli territory and against ships with some kind of Israeli connection following the offensive in the Gaza Strip that began on October 7 after the attack by Palestinian militias.