UN Experts: Yemen’s Houthis Receiving Iranian-like Weapons

According to United Nations experts, Yemen’s Shi’ite Houthi rebels are receiving Iranian-like parts for weapons in possible violation of an international arms embargo. In a report to the Security Council, a copy of which was obtained by the Associated Press, the experts allege that the route being used to transfer the arms “seems to run overland from Oman and the southern coast of Yemen, through territory controlled by the government of Yemen, towards Sanaa,” the country’s capital. The Houthis overran Sanaa in late 2014 and exiled members of the internationally recognized government to Saudi Arabia, which subsequently intervened militarily in the conflict along with other Sunni countries. The UN report also notes that weapons continue to be transported to the Houthis via sea, pointing to the November seizure of a vessel in the Arabian Sea that was carrying anti-tank missiles. Meanwhile, a major uptick in the fighting in Yemen over the past 10 days has killed dozens of people and wounded hundreds more. According to press reports, the Saudis and their partners have stepped up airstrikes on rebel targets northeast of Sanaa following months of relative calm, while the Houthis have increased their shelling of government-held areas. Violence has also flared in the government-controlled city of Taiz, as well as in the central province of Bayda. Despite heavy losses on both sides, the Houthis have reportedly been gaining ground.