New Arms Flowing to Houthis in Yemen Courtesy of Iran

Coming on the heels of multiple attempts by the Iranian proxy Houthis to fire missiles at American naval vessels in international waters off of Yemen, it’s being reported that new arms shipments are reaching the Shiite fighters courtesy of Iran, including small arms and the anti-ship missiles that have been used in the failed assaults against a Navy destroyer. The US has identified Oman as the intermediary through which the weapons pass en route from Iran to Yemen and according to American officials, the matter has been raised with Omani officials. But the issue is complicated by Oman’s denial that arms are smuggled across its borders which leaves the US without any apparent means of resolving the matter. Officials in Washington see the arrival of fresh weaponry counterproductive to efforts to convince the parties to observe a ceasefire. For the past year, troops loyal to the Yemeni government of President Hadi, who was driven into exile by the Houthis, have been supported by a coalition of air forces led by Saudi Arabia which has been wreaking havoc on civilian areas while pursuing the fight against the Houthis. The spiral of violence continued upward as the Saudi assistance was matched by Tehran, the Saudi rival for control of the Gulf. A top Iranian diplomat recently admitted to the Reuters news agency that Iran has significantly increased its help for the Houthis since last May in the form of funding, training and arms. He said the controversial nuclear deal brokered by the United States has given the Iranians the edge over the Saudis. Sources in the Gulf point to the situation in Yemen as proof that predictions made before the closing of the nuclear deal were on the mark relative to Iran’s appetite for de-stabilizing the region by supporting unrest in Yemen, Lebanon, Syria and elsewhere. On Wednesday, a senior American general said it is believed that Iran was behind the attempts to fire missiles at the US Navy vessels in the Red Sea.