UN Experts: Iranian-backed Houthis Collaborate with Al-Qaeda and Al-Shabab

UN experts say that the Houthi rebels in Yemen, supported by the Islamic Republic of Iran, have transformed from a locally armed group with limited capabilities into a powerful military organization, collaborating with armed groups in Iraq, Hezbollah militants in Lebanon, and similar entities. The UN experts published their assessments in a 537-page report sent to the UN Security Council. According to a report by the Associated Press published on Sunday, November 4, the UN experts have also learned through 'confidential sources' that the Houthis are coordinating operations in collaboration with Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula and strengthening ties with the Al-Shabab militia linked to Al-Qaeda in Somalia. The report states that the Iranian-backed Houthis have exploited the war between Israel and the extremist group Hamas in Gaza to enhance their position in the so-called 'axis of resistance' claimed by Iran and to gain greater popularity in the region and beyond. Hamas is recognized as a terrorist group by the United States and the European Union. The Associated Press states that a five-member delegation of experts and specialists in weapons, finance, regional affairs, international human rights, and armed groups from countries such as India, Egypt, Switzerland, Belgium, and Cape Verde came together to prepare this report. The five-member UN reporters also highlighted issues such as disruption of transportation by the Houthis, the use of new supersonic ballistic missiles, and the recruitment of children as human shields. According to the report, after Hamas's attack on Israel on October 7 last year, which led to the outbreak of the Gaza war, the Houthis attacked ships in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden under the pretext of supporting this extremist group, disrupting global transportation in this sensitive geopolitical region. Although the Houthis claim they will only target ships related to Israel, investigations by these experts show that this militia group has not adhered to this practice and has targeted all vessels. Analysis of data from the International Maritime Organization, which is affiliated with the United Nations and based in London, indicates that at least 134 attacks from Houthi-controlled areas against commercial and trading ships and US and British warships in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden occurred between November 15, 2023, and July 31, 2024. Experts say that in these attacks, the Houthis used a new supersonic ballistic missile called 'Hatam-2.' Additionally, UN experts reported that following the outbreak of the war in Gaza and US and British airstrikes on Houthi positions in Yemen, the group has increased child recruitment. The legitimate Yemeni government states that in the first half of 2024, it received nearly 3,300 reports of child recruitment by the Houthis; reports indicate that these underage individuals are used as human shields or for cooking, spying, reconnaissance, or for planting mines and explosives.