U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency Confirms Houthi Use of Iranian Missiles and Drones in Attacks

On Tuesday, February 6, the U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency released a report confirming that the Iran-backed Houthis have used Iranian-made missiles and drones against military and civilian targets throughout the Middle East. According to the report, images of the Iranian-made missiles and drones match the weapons used by Houthi forces to attack commercial ships in the Red Sea and civilian and port infrastructure across the region. The report also states that the Islamic Republic has primarily sent short- and medium-range ballistic missiles and cruise missiles to the Houthis, and that between 2015 and 2023, the United States and its allies have seized at least 18 ships belonging to the Islamic Republic that intended to deliver ballistic missile components, drones, anti-tank guided missiles, and thousands of assault rifles to the Houthis. The U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency's report also noted the strengthening relationship between the Houthis and the Islamic Republic, emphasizing that the Quds Force of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has provided a wide range of advanced weapons and necessary training to the Houthis since 2014. Iranian support for the Houthis since November 2023 has enabled missile and drone attacks against commercial ships in the Red Sea, threatening freedom of navigation and international trade in one of the world's most important waterways. A Houthi spokesperson announced on Tuesday morning that the group, supported by the Iranian government, recently fired missiles at two ships in the Red Sea, causing minor damage to a cargo ship moving along the coast of Hodeidah, Yemen. According to Reuters, the Houthis have targeted commercial ships with drones and missiles in the Red Sea since mid-November of last year, describing these actions as solidarity with the Palestinians against Israel in the Gaza war. The British newspaper Telegraph reported on January 10, citing its intelligence sources inside Iran, that the Houthi group has been trained at the 'Khamenei Marine Science and Technology University' in Zibakenar, Rasht, and that Ali Khamenei personally supervises their activities. The report also highlights the dangerous and destabilizing nature of proxy attacks by the Islamic Republic in Syria, where six Kurdish fighters supported by the U.S. were killed in a recent attack. U.S. military operations against the Houthis have targeted a cruise missile and '36 other targets' in Yemen, with the U.S. military reporting the destruction of 12 Houthi drones. Israel has also stated that it intercepted a missile fired from the Red Sea.