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Africa Horn

Al-Shabaab and Houthis deepen arms cooperation — WSJ

2026-09-02

[GaroweOnline] al-Shabaab
... the personification of Somali state failure...
and Yemen
...an area of the Arabian Peninsula sometimes mistaken for a country. It is populated by more antagonistic tribes and factions than you can keep track of...
’s Iran's Houthi sock puppets
...a Zaidi Shia insurgent group operating in Yemen. They have also been referred to as the Believing Youth. Hussein Badreddin al-Houthi is said to be the spiritual leader of the group and most of the military leaders are his relatives. The legitimate Yemeni government has accused the them of having ties to the Iranian government. Honest they did. The group has managed to gain control over all of Saada Governorate and parts of Amran, Al Jawf and Hajjah Governorates. Its slogan is God is Great, Death to America™, Death to Israel, a curse on the Jews They like shooting off... ummm... missiles that they would have us believe they make at home in their basements. On the plus side, they did murder Ali Abdullah Saleh, which was the only way the country was ever going to be rid of him...
movement have developed a growing partnership involving arms transfers, murderous Moslem training and drone technology, according to an investigative report published by The Wall Street Journal.

The report identified Jibril Yahya Ali, a Somali man known as "Gacaamey," as a longtime liaison between the two groups who purchased military-grade weapons from the Houthis and smuggled them to al-Shabaab. Jibril was killed on Feb. 12 in a missile strike near al-Ghaydah in eastern Yemen while driving along the coast with his new wife.

Two American sources told the WSJ that the United States carried out the strike. However,
man does not live by words alone, despite the fact that sometimes he has to eat them...
U.S. Central Command said it was not a military operation, while the CIA declined to confirm whether it was responsible.

Jibril, 38, had studied veterinary medicine in Yemen and operated a charity, a foreign-exchange outlet and an import-export company in Mogadishu.

A busy and ambitious man. It would be admirable were he not so evil.

According to the report, the Houthis provided him with a furnished apartment in Sanaa and a Yemeni passport issued under an assumed name. He also attended official Houthi functions.

Bet he loved going to functions and rubbing elbows with the Houthi bigshots. I’m not sue what benefit there is to having a fake Yemeni passport…

An internal assessment by Yemen’s Counter-Terrorism Service described Jibril as a key figure in strengthening relations between the Houthis and al-Shabaab, particularly in transferring weapons, military equipment and technical expertise.

Al-Shabaab and the Houthis belong to movements rooted in historically opposing religious traditions, but Somali, American and Yemeni officials told the WSJ that hostility toward the United States and Israel has brought them together.

We were recently discussing whether Sunni jihadis and Shiite jihadis could team up, and here’s the answer. The internet is generous.

The partnership benefits both sides. al-Shabaab has considerable financial resources but is seeking more sophisticated weapons and training. The Houthis possess missiles, drones and technical expertise but want cash and an expanded operational presence on the southern side of the Gulf of Aden.

Not getting the green stuff from Iran any more? How sad.

In 2024, al-Shabaab sent Sheikh Ahmed Elmi Samatar to Yemen with a weapons wish list that reportedly included shoulder-fired antiaircraft missiles, Katyusha rockets, sniper rifles, attack drones, antitank missiles and night-vision equipment.

Yemeni authorities arrested Samatar in January 2025, but he was later released in a prisoner exchange with the Houthis. He returned to Somalia, leaving Jibril to continue representing al-Shabaab’s interests in Yemen.

After Jibril’s death, al-Shabaab appointed a replacement, suggesting that cooperation between the two groups remains active, according to Matt Bryden, a former United Nations
...boodling on the grand scale...
expert who monitored arms flows into Somalia.

The weapons are reportedly concealed by front companies and shipped through Yemeni ports before being transported across the Gulf of Aden aboard speedboats or fishing vessels. They are unloaded along poorly monitored sections of Somalia’s northern coastline and moved overland to al-Shabaab units in the south.

In April 2025, U.S. forces destroyed two unflagged vessels travelling from Yemen toward Somali waters. U.S. Africa Command said the boats were carrying advanced conventional weapons.

It remains unclear which weapons sought by al-Shabaab have reached Somalia. Somali and American officials are particularly concerned that the group could acquire attack drones or missiles capable of striking military bases.

The WSJ also reported that at least 100 al-Shabaab fighters had travelled to Yemen for training in bomb-making, antiaircraft operations and drone assembly.

One group reportedly spent three months this year in Yemen’s Sa’dah region, while Houthi instructors have also travelled to Somalia to train al-Shabaab murderous Moslems.

In June, a four-member Houthi delegation crossed from Yemen by boat and travelled to Jilib, al-Shabaab’s main stronghold in southern Somalia. The delegation reportedly discussed cooperation aimed at countering Israeli activities in Berbera and promised the group more advanced weapons and training.

The Houthis fear that Israel could use Berbera as a base from which to monitor or attack Yemen.

Ya think?

Houthi leader Abdul Malik al-Houthi recently threatened to strike any Israeli presence established in Somaliland

...Republic of Somaliland is an unrecognised sovereign state in the Horn of Africa, recognised internationally as a de jure part of Somalia. It is located in the southern coast of the Gulf of Aden with approximately 5.7 million residents as of 2021. The capital and largest city is Hargeisa. The government regards itself as the successor state to British Somaliland, which united from 1960 to 1991 with the Trust Territory of Somaliland (the former Italian Somaliland) to form the Somali Republic. Under the Siad Barre regime, Somaliadestroyed ninety percent of Hargeisa Per international law, once you're in, you gotta stay in, no matter how bad it smells....
Al-Shabaab collects at least $100 million annually through extortion, compulsory taxation and roadside checkpoints, according to a U.S. intelligence assessment. That revenue allows the group to purchase weapons and training from the Houthis.

The Houthis, meanwhile, are seeking a foothold in Somalia from which they could monitor commercial shipping through the Gulf of Aden and the Bab al-Mandab Strait.

Gen. Dagvin Anderson, commander of U.S. forces in Africa, told the WSJ that the relationship poses a threat extending beyond Somalia and Yemen because it could affect one of the world’s most important trade and energy corridors.

The Houthis did not respond to the newspaper’s questions about their relationship with al-Shabaab. The precise weapons transferred to the Somali group and the full extent of the operations being planned have not been independently verified.

Link

Arabia

Houthis are trying to deter their enemy supported by the Saudis, which has led to dozens of dead and wounded

2026-08-13

ובגיזרה אחרת,
המצב בתימן מאוד מתוח.

אין הרבה קרבות פנים אל פנים, אבל יש הרבה דיווחים על פשיטות הדדיות בין "השלטון הלגיטימי" לחות'ים.

רוב ריכוז האש הוא של החות'ים שמנסים להרתיע את האויב שלהם שנתמך על-ידי הסעודים, מה שהוביל לעשרות הרוגים ופצועים לשני הצדדים. וזה קורה כמעט לאורך… pic.twitter.com/vijCL8cZlI
— Ben Tzion Macales (@BenTzionMacales) August 12, 2026

Translated Text:

And in another decree,
the situation in Yemen is very tense.

There aren't many face-to-face battles, but there are plenty of reports of mutual raids between "the legitimate government" and the Houthis.

Most of the fire concentration is from the Houthis, who are trying to deter their enemy supported by the Saudis, which has led to dozens of dead and wounded on both sides. And this is happening almost along the entire front line.

There have been reports of firefight exchanges in Al-Hariib, Taiz, Al-Jawf, and more. Meanwhile, the Houthis are carrying out launches of ballistic missiles and drones at targets of the Yemeni army where it concentrates its forces and its weapons imports, such as at the Al-Makha port.
The Houthis are also mobilizing civilians who support Abdul-Malik al-Houthi in the major cities like Sana'a, Saada, and Al-Hudaydah.

Beyond the tension with the legitimate government, the Houthis are trying with all their might to break the Saudi sea and air blockade on them, by carrying out their threats to close the Bab al-Mandeb Strait. This is expressed in attacks on ships that were on their way to Saudi Arabia, or calls for ships to turn back, and it's succeeding to some degree.

All this is happening while negotiations are underway in Oman to reduce the tension. And even there, the situation doesn't look great.

What will be at the end of the day? Well, everything can change to either side within a few days, an explosion or a lull.

Yemeni Armed Forces said artillery fire and drone strikes targeted Houthi gatherings and reinforcements near Souq al-Fakher

#Yemen War #SITREP | As Houthi-affiliated news networks begin reporting funerals for soldiers and officers killed in recent fighting, Yemen's internationally recognized armed forces and allied @NRFYemen have released footage showing recent clashes and strikes against Houthi… https://t.co/VRgu0WIePK pic.twitter.com/Am4dAHMPWf
— Basha باشا (@BashaReport) August 12, 2026

Text:

#Yemen War #SITREP | As Houthi-affiliated news networks begin reporting funerals for soldiers and officers killed in recent fighting, Yemen's internationally recognized armed forces and allied
@NRFYemen have released footage showing recent clashes and strikes against Houthi forces on several fronts.

In Al-Dhale' governorate, the Yemeni Armed Forces said artillery fire and drone strikes targeted Houthi gatherings and reinforcements near Souq al-Fakher, west of Qa'atabah. The strikes took place Tuesday evening as Houthi forces were gathering ahead of an alleged attack on government positions. The military said a number of Houthi fighters were killed or wounded.

Separate footage from eastern Taiz showed government forces responding to an attempted Houthi infiltration on the Al-Karifat front. The Yemeni Armed Forces said the attempt was stopped and that several Houthi fighters were captured.

More at the link

Link

Arabia

Saudi Aramco oil refineries in disarray after massive Yemeni missile and drone barrage

2026-07-26

[HodhodYemenNews] The Yemeni Armed Forces announced the execution of two major military operations targeting sensitive facilities belonging to Saudi Aramco in Jizan and Yanbu, using dozens of ballistic and cruise missiles and drones. They also reaffirmed that the naval blockade on Saudi Arabia

...a kingdom taking up the bulk of the Arabian peninsula, largely made up of sand and oil rigs. Its primary economic activity involves exporting oil and soaking Islamic rubes on the annual haj pilgrimage. The country supports a large number of princes in whatcha might call princely splendor. Formerly dictatorial and steeped in Olde Tyme Religion, deferring to Salafist holy men on all issues, it has now done a 180 and is making a serious effort to modernize, so as not to be left in the sand by its Gulf Arab neighbors. The holy men have been shoved to the background and the nation is now still dictatorial but somewhat rational. That doesn't make them trustworthy, but it's a start...
will continue.

Yemen’s Armed Forces issued the following statement:

"In its continued siege of the Yemeni people and in yet another violation of the illusory sovereignty of the Republic of Yemen, the Saudi enemy regime launched a series of unjust and criminal ~~Arclight~~ airstrike
...KABOOM!...
s last night on the city and port of Hodeidah and Kamaran Island.

These airstrikes resulted in material and incorporeal damage, and air defenses engaged with a formation of enemy aircraft after they violated Yemeni airspace, preventing them from committing further crimes against this great nation.

In response to this blatant and criminal aggression, the Yemeni Armed Forces carried out two qualitative military operations.

The first targeted sensitive Aramco-affiliated facilities in Jizan with dozens of ballistic missiles and drones.

And the second operation targeted sensitive Aramco-affiliated facilities in Yanbu with a number of ballistic and cruise missiles and drones.

Both operations successfully achieved their objectives, thanks to Allah Almighty, with accurate and direct strikes.

This escalation of aggression confirms the Saudi enemy’s determination to continue its siege of our people and its violation of our country’s illusory sovereignty.

This is unacceptable, and our free, faithful, and valiant people will confront it with unwavering resolve and strength.

We in the Yemeni Armed Forces, relying on Allah, are committed to fulfilling our duty of honorable and responsible defense of our beloved country and our noble people—the people of faith and wisdom, the people of Islam and Arabism.

This criminal enemy will find nothing from us but resistance and confrontation from our righteous position, while it stands on the side of falsehood, Indeed, falsehood is ever bound to perish.

We affirm that the naval blockade imposed on the Saudi enemy remains in effect, in response to its aggression and its unjust blockade that has persisted for twelve years. We will not hesitate to expand our operations and escalate our actions based on developments in the coming hours and days, within the equation of a blockade for a blockade and an escalation for an escalation."

The Times of Israel adds:

Two Asia-based trading sources said that they had been informed of potential damage to fuel and oil storage sites at Jizan. Aramco did not respond to requests for comment.

In Yanbu, two ballistic missiles aimed at oil installations were intercepted by a US-made Patriot battery operated in Saudi Arabia by the Greek military under an agreement with Riyadh, Greek security sources said. Yanbu is Saudi Arabia’s main Red Sea oil port, where millions of barrels a day are loaded, and has become the main route out for Saudi oil skirting the Strait of Hormuz, which has been essentially closed off by Iran. Jizan, on the Red Sea close to the Yemeni border, is the site of a refinery with a capacity of 400,000 barrels per day.

In Yemen, the air force of the Saudi-backed, internationally recognized government, which has opposed the Houthis for more than a decade, struck Houthi missile and drone launch sites and arms depots in the Marib and al-Jawf provinces, Yemeni officials said. The Saudi-led military alliance said it had bombed Houthi military positions on Friday in the Red Sea port of Hodeida.

The Yemeni officials said both sides in Yemen’s civil war were mobilizing forces along the front.

Saudi Arabia led an Arab coalition against the Houthis after the Iran-aligned fighters captured Yemen’s capital, Sanaa, in 2014, though the alliance and the conflict had been largely dormant in recent years.

The Yemeni civil war, during which hundreds of thousands of people died from fighting and famine, has been paused under a ceasefire since 2022. But that truce broke down this month, with the Houthis effectively joining the wider war their Iranian allies have waged since being attacked by the US and Israel.

The Houthis have declared a naval blockade of Saudi Arabia over the past week, and Houthi leader Abdul Malik al-Houthi said all Saudi oil facilities could be targets.

The move has contributed in recent days to one of the war’s sharpest rises in global oil prices, with Brent crude spiking above $100 a barrel for the first time since May.

Yemen’s Houthis say they hit a Saudi Aramco oil facility in Jizan with missiles (and possibly drones) overnight, sparking fires.

Videos of smoke are circulating and satellite data reportedly shows thermal hotspots at the site.

Saudi Civil Defense briefly issued danger… pic.twitter.com/OHN8G41EVw
— Clash Report (@clashreport) July 25, 2026

… briefly issued danger warnings for Jizan and Yanbu, then lifted them.

No official Saudi/Aramco confirmation of damage, casualties, or production impact yet.

Link

Syria-Lebanon-Iran

A Year of Struggle: What Remains of Iran's 'Axis of Resistance' in the Middle East

2025-12-27

Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
by Leonid Tsukanov

[REGNUM] 2025 proved to be a difficult year for the Iranian proxy network, also known as the "Axis of Resistance." Its fighters not only had to conduct asymmetrical operations in the Middle East but also "supply ammunition" to Tehran during the 12-day war with Israel in June 2025. Along the way, they shared, to varying degrees, with the Iranians some of the damage from Tel Aviv's operations. Some continue to suffer losses to this day.

Indeed. Ain’t it grand!
However, despite the damage sustained and the general weakening of pressure on the "anti-Israeli front," Tehran's allies still have something with which to respond to their opponents' attacks.

Oooh! Oooh! I know — it’s their blood, right?

LEBANON: A PROTRACTED REGROUPING
In the fight against Israel, Lebanon's Hezbollah has perhaps suffered more than others. Having lost part of its ruling elite (including Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah) at the end of 2024 and, simultaneously, having lost its reserve foothold in Syria due to the unexpected change of power in Damascus, the movement was effectively sidelined.

I suppose the passive voice is actually appropriate for that statement. In that quick but intense exchange Hezbollah was considerably more done to than doing.

This dealt a severe blow to Tehran's operational structure—without the "central striker" that Hezbollah had long been, the Iranians were no longer able to draw the Israelis to a second front, allowing Tel Aviv to increase its pressure in the Gaza Strip and build up its forces for a full-scale attack on Iran.

To be fair, the West Bank failed first, then Hezbollah, then Iran itself in their Twele Day War (they held out twice as long as Egypt, so yay them), the Houthis, and now Hamas is choosing between eviction and death.

Along the way, they ensured that during the period of greatest escalation, Lebanese proxies were unable to completely cover Tehran.

Of course, it's too early to talk about Hezbollah's complete defeat. Although the movement continues to lose "old guard" commanders (such as Ahmed Shukr, who participated in operations against the Jewish state back in the 1980s) and Iranian advisers (the most recent casualty being General Hussein al-Jawhari, killed in a targeted drone strike on December 25), it retains influence over Lebanese politics.

Moreover, Hezbollah still manages to pit official Beirut against its key interlocutors (the US, Turkey, and European countries), complicating and further bureaucratizing the process of disarming pro-Iranian forces.

Against this backdrop, Israel is sounding the alarm, complaining that instead of surrendering its weapons, Hezbollah has modernized its arsenals and is preparing for a new war.

However, it's highly likely that Tel Aviv is deliberately exaggerating the situation to expand its zone of control in southern Lebanon under the pretext of preemptive defense and avoid handing over commanding heights near the Litani River to the peacekeeping contingent. In the Israeli view, only maintaining a buffer zone there can secure the country's north.

And for this reason, Tel Aviv is ready to pretend that it still sees Hezbollah as a serious adversary.

HAMAS: SURROUNDED, BUT NOT BROKEN
Although the Hamas movement is not officially part of the "Axis of Resistance," it cements it, since it was under the slogan of solidarity with the Palestinian people that pro-Iranian forces carried out most of their operations against Israel.

By the end of 2025, Hamas found itself in a stalemate. On the one hand, it had managed to maintain its structures and influence in parts of the Gaza Strip, while also remaining a force to be reckoned with in international negotiations.

On the other hand, they failed to defeat Israel on the battlefield. Tel Aviv promptly shifted the struggle to the diplomatic realm, where it is working with the US to lobby for the creation of a "transitional government in Gaza," gradually squeezing Hamas out of political life.

Neither Hamas nor Tehran knows how to get out of this impasse.

YEMEN: FOCUS ON YOURSELF
In 2025, Yemen's Houthis (the Ansar Allah movement) proved themselves to be a formidable force, formally in Tehran's orbit, but independently determining the boundaries of anti-Israeli operations.

The Yemenis were the only ones who were able to inflict real and lasting damage on the Israelis, for example, by bankrupting the southern port of Eilat, until recently considered the "trade gateway" of the Jewish state, and by forcing Tel Aviv to redistribute internal logistics routes.

Moreover, the Houthis became the only Axis group that left the conflict on its own terms, and even retained its pre-war leadership.

The ones that weren’t killed, anyway.

Of course, the Israelis and Americans managed to reach high-ranking Houthis at least a few times (the ceremonial funerals of five high-ranking officers killed back in May took place on December 25). However, the losses were primarily among the "civilian figures" of the alternative government established in Sana'a.

The movement's main leader and ideologist, Abdul-Malik al-Houthi, remained elusive to the enemy.

However, the year ends unsettled for Ansar Allah: the UAE-backed southerners (the Southern Transitional Council) suddenly challenged the pro-Iranian forces by launching an offensive along the entire front line in December 2025.

The Saudis, whose interests in Yemen are also threatened by the sudden change in the status quo, want to intervene but are hesitant—either out of fear of creating a flashpoint along the border or hoping the southerners' fervor will quickly fade, or the warring parties will simply annihilate each other.

This development indirectly plays into Israel's hands: there is a chance that Houthi forces will be drawn back to contain the offensive from the south and will not be able to participate in the actions against Tel Aviv.

IRAQ: THE ETERNAL BENCH
Despite the significant presence of pro-Iranian forces in Iraq, Tehran never fully played this card against Israel in 2025.

The activity of Iraqi proxies was limited to a series of demonstrations and public actions, such as the burning of Israeli and US flags during the 12-day war in June 2025.

At the end of the year, Iraqi authorities nearly outlawed Iranian loyalists, but quickly changed their minds and turned their attention to identifying "fifth columns" in other countries, including Israel.

Iran sees Baghdad's vacillations and is trying not to stir up local groups unnecessarily. Meanwhile, Iraqi skies remain tacitly open to Iranian missiles and drones.

This forces the Israelis to keep some of their forces on the Iraqi front, which reduces the effectiveness of their offensive on others.

A SHORT RESPITE
Overall, 2025 ends with uncertainty for the "Axis of Resistance." On the one hand, the peak of escalation was passed by both sides back in June, after which Israel and Iran, along with their "support group," returned to the corners of the ring.

The Gaza conflict, partially frozen by the end of September, no longer plays its former consolidating role, and Iran's proxies are gradually turning inward. Iran is also preoccupied with resolving its internal problems and is not looking for new pretexts for conflict.

On the other hand, neither Tehran nor Tel Aviv considers the acute phase of the confrontation to be over, viewing the diplomatic battles as merely a brief respite. This is evidenced by both the increasing accusations leveled at each other, attempts to demonize the other as much as possible, and the accelerated militarization of both sides.

There's a high probability that Iran will once again face Israel on the battlefield in 2026. And the future balance of power in this conflict will largely depend on the state of the "Axis of Resistance."

Link

Arabia

'Sleepers' in Yemen: A spy network discrediting the Houthis has been shut down

2025-11-13

Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited
by Leonid Tsukanov

[REGNUM] Yemen has been rocked by a spy scandal: Ansar Allah (Houthi) security forces have uncovered a large spy network operating in the country for the past several years, operating in the interests of three intelligence agencies—the CIA (US), Mossad (Israel), and the General Intelligence Service (Saudi Arabia).

And while the involvement of Americans and Israelis in the Houthis' "spy games" in Yemen didn't come as much of a surprise, the inclusion of the Saudis on this list was a real scandal—albeit one that unfolded mostly behind the scenes.

A WELL-ESTABLISHED SYSTEM
The spy network, controlled by three countries, was created before the global pandemic but remained dormant until 2024. It was only after the Houthis began seriously threatening US and Saudi Arabian interests in the region by imposing a naval and air blockade on Israel that it was finally activated.

It's worth noting that the network was built in a manner quite atypical for the Middle East: its scale and security far exceeded those of other previously identified spy organizations.

Its first (lowest) level was represented by a group of small cells (2-3 people) consisting of local loyalists and informants. Typically, these were defectors from the North (territories controlled by pro-Saudi forces) who had proven their loyalty to Ansar Allah in combat or in civilian service.

At the second level, there were “field operatives” operating, who were subordinate to the Saudi intelligence services and, under various guise, were deployed to Yemen during the active phase of the civil war.

Third, high-ranking Saudi intelligence officers who carried out operational control of the structure and sometimes met with agents in neighboring countries.

At the highest—the fourth—level were managers from the Israeli and American intelligence services, who ensured overall coordination of the intelligence network's activities and compiled data for reports to higher-ups in Washington and Tel Aviv. They, however, never left Riyadh and communicated with their subordinates exclusively through trusted contacts.

The system that was built, despite its complexity, ensured flexibility in decision-making and allowed ordinary agents to work for three countries at once, without realizing the true goals of their work.

And it's worth noting that there were plenty of "operational assignments": loyalists monitored military command posts, identified the locations of military camps and weapons depots, and compiled dossiers on influential security officials and their inner circle.

Some of the data received by the operations center was later used in strikes on Yemen during Operations Black Flag and Long Arm.

FALSE FLAGS
However, the work of the "spy trio" was not limited to the usual surveillance of enemy functionaries and the mapping of military installations.

A far more important task was to discredit Ansar Allah in the eyes of the international community, to present them as an organization hostile to the entire world, and to achieve its recognition as a terrorist organization at the UN level.

The latter would make it possible to introduce comprehensive sanctions against the movement and minimize international support for its activities.

It must be said that the spy network was adept at playing on the emotions of the "Yemeni street." And the friendships of some of the detained agents with field commanders also helped quickly mobilize security forces, disguising their influence campaigns as Houthi activity. This allowed some orchestrated actions to be presented as Sana'a's initiative.

For example, in August 2025, Ansar Allah supporters stormed several UN buildings in the territories they controlled and arrested a large group of UN employees, accusing them of spying for the United States and Israel.

The arrests took place a couple of days after a high-profile Israeli airstrike on the Yemeni capital, which killed several high-ranking officials of the alternative government.

By the time Sana'a figured out that the trail was false, the international uproar had reached such proportions that Yemeni diplomats were forced to apologize earnestly (albeit behind the scenes) to the UN Secretary-General and the leaders of several superpowers—just to avoid being blacklisted.

It is noteworthy that the "trio" agents managed to pull off the same trick again - in October 2025, when the Houthi intelligence services again arrested UN employees, 15 of whom were foreign citizens, on charges of "aiding the enemy."

True, the second time the Houthis, having learned from their previous experience, limited themselves to routine checks and quickly released most of those detained.

There have also been attempts to blame Ansar Allah for attacks on neutral ships.

Specifically, on October 18, 2025, after the ceasefire in Gaza had already taken effect, unknown forces attacked the MV Falcon tanker, which was carrying liquefied petroleum gas, in the Gulf of Aden. As a result of the attack, the vessel caught fire and began drifting. Immediately afterwards, footage of missile launchers deployed on the shore, which allegedly hit the vessel, flooded the internet.

However, a few days later it became clear that the Houthis had not carried out any operations in the area and, moreover, did not even have any prepared infrastructure there, which was confirmed by satellite images that later appeared.

The disaster on board the MV Falcon was caused by a technical failure in the engine room.

The news of the shore-based shelling was eventually deemed fake. However, who exactly deployed and then just as quickly hid the dummy launchers remains a mystery.

OPERATION RETRIBUTION
However, despite the high level of skill of the spies they planted, they stumbled over a small thing – an attempt in early September to win over the personal barber of the Houthi leader, Abdul-Malik al-Houthi.

Moreover, it was not an ordinary agent who was sent to the conversation, but a seasoned operative who served in Saudi intelligence.

The latter introduced himself as an activist of the semi-virtual pro-Iranian group "Islamic Resistance in the Land of the Two Holy Mosques," allegedly operating in Saudi Arabia, and attempted to gain their trust under the pretext of strengthening contacts. However, he hadn't bothered to thoroughly check his interlocutor's background beforehand.

The hairdresser, who turned out to be a counterintelligence officer, quickly reported the conversation to the appropriate authorities, and surveillance was placed on the active underground worker.

Less than two months later, security forces already had dossiers on a significant portion of the conspirators. And here, too, chance played a role.

Even though the cells in Yemen operated autonomously, they were somehow connected through five "managers," some of whom were spotted at the meeting with the Saudi. And through them, other suspicious individuals were identified. All that remained was to make the arrests.

In early November, Ansar Allah security forces finally made a counterattack, carrying out an operation codenamed "And Their Plot Will Fail."

Raids and arrests took place simultaneously in all provinces under government control. Several people were arrested directly on the line of contact, causing considerable surprise among rank-and-file soldiers.

As a result of the operation, Houthi counterintelligence captured up to fifty agents and informants working for foreign countries. Among them was at least one woman, known as Huda Ali.

According to investigators, she ensured the infiltration of agents into "women's gatherings"—informal clubs for the wives of high-ranking Ansar Allah officials, where operatives, acting primarily in Israel's interests, collected information on the daily habits and pain points of potential targets.

Furthermore, the Houthis managed to seize several advanced spy devices assembled in Saudi Arabia and Israel. This allowed them to identify several more security breaches—at customs and in several civilian agencies, where a series of arrests of senior and mid-level officials recently occurred.

However, the Houthis failed to apprehend the "resident" who orchestrated the unified network. Sensing trouble, "Mr. X" managed to escape from Sana'a to Taiz province in southwest Yemen and relocate to central government positions.

An attempt to apprehend the fugitive resulted in a brief firefight, during which both sides suffered casualties. It's highly likely that the mysterious mastermind behind the entire spy network, having covered his tracks in territory controlled by the Saudi protégé, moved to Riyadh, closer to the mastermind behind the hit.

CONSEQUENCES FOR THE SAUDIS
The spy scandal in Yemen will most likely have serious consequences for the House of Saud, both strategic and image-related.

The fact is that since 2022, when the active phase of fighting in Yemen ceased, a kind of gentleman's agreement was reached between Ansar Allah and Riyadh: the Houthis agreed to cease shelling Saudi oil and gas facilities and reduce pressure on the frontlines in Yemen in exchange for a complete freeze on Saudi operations against them. This included, of course, intelligence operations.

Now that information about Riyadh's involvement in espionage has come to light, the Houthis have a number of grievances against their royal neighbors. The most obvious concerns the violation of informal agreements.

The Houthis no longer consider themselves bound by these obligations and may resume attacks on Saudi infrastructure in the near future. This is evidenced, among other things, by the accelerated redeployment of local troops closer to the border.

However, the Houthis are much more active in pushing the narrative of Riyadh's betrayal of Palestinian interests. Saudi intelligence has effectively leased its assets to the CIA and Mossad, allowing the latter to reduce the effectiveness of anti-Israel campaigns and strengthen their pressure on the Gaza Strip. If Ansar Allah succeeds in promoting this narrative, the Saudis' image as "defenders of Palestine" will be irreparably damaged.

Riyadh recognizes these risks and is trying to mitigate them, including through generous promises to the Houthi leaders. Signals to this effect are being sent to Sana'a via neutral countries—Oman and Qatar.

It appears that Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman will try to negotiate with Donald Trump some kind of security guarantees for the Ansar Allah leadership in exchange for them turning a blind eye to the Saudis' involvement in the conspiracy.

However, whether Trump will agree to this is a big question.

Link

Arabia

12 UN workers allowed to leave Yemen after detention by Houthi rebels, UN says

2025-10-23

[IsraelTimes] Staffers said ‘free to move or travel’ after Iran-backed rebels raided compound in Sanaa, detained 20; organization adds 53 workers still ‘arbitrarily detained’

Twelve international United Nations
...a formerly good idea gone bad...
employees who had been held by Yemen
...an area of the Arabian Peninsula sometimes mistaken for a country. It is populated by more antagonistic tribes and factions than you can keep track of...
’s Iran's Houthi sock puppets

...a Zaidi Shia insurgent group operating in Yemen. They have also been referred to as the Believing Youth. Hussein Badreddin al-Houthi is said to be the spiritual leader of the group and most of the military leaders are his relatives. The legitimate Yemeni government has accused the them of having ties to the Iranian government. Honest they did. The group has managed to gain control over all of Saada Governorate and parts of Amran, Al Jawf and Hajjah Governorates. Its slogan is God is Great, Death to America™, Death to Israel, a curse on the Jews They like shooting off... ummm... missiles that they would have us believe they make at home in their basements. On the plus side, they did murder Ali Abdullah Saleh, which was the only way the country was ever going to be rid of him...
rebels inside their compound flew out of the rebel-held capital on Wednesday, the UN said.

The Iran-backed Houthis raided the UN compound in the capital Sanaa last weekend, holding 20 staff, including 15 foreigners. Five Yemeni nationals were released on Sunday.

The rebels have harassed and detained UN staff and aid workers for years, accusing them of spying, but they have accelerated arrests since the start of the Gazoo
...Hellhole adjunct to Israel and Egypt's Sinai Peninsula, inhabited by Gazooks. The place was acquired in the wake of the 1967 War and then presented to Paleostinian control in 2006 by Ariel Sharon, who had entered his dotage. It is currently ruled with a rusty iron fist by Hamas with about the living conditions you'd expect. It periodically attacks the Hated Zionist Entity whenever Iran needs a ruckus created or the hard boyz get bored, getting thumped by the IDF in return. The ruling turbans then wave the bloody shirt and holler loudly about oppression and disproportionate response...
war.

"Earlier today, 12 UN international staff who were amongst those previously held in the UN compound in Yemen departed Sanaa on a UN Humanitarian Air Service flight," said a statement released by UN Secretary-General Antonio Gutteres’s spokesperson.

Their destination was not revealed. The three remaining staff are now "free to move or travel," the UN said.

Among those detained was UNICEF’s representative in Yemen, Peter Hawkins, a UN source and Houthi sources told AFP at the time.

Rebel leader Abdul Malik al-Houthi has accused the detained UN employees of having a hand in a major Israeli ~~Arclight~~ airstrike
...KABOOM!...
in August that killed the Houthis’ premier and nearly half of his cabinet, though he has not provided evidence. The UN has rejected the claim.

The rebels stormed UN offices in Sanaa on August 31, detaining more than 11 employees, it said.

A senior Houthi official told AFP the UN staff were suspected of spying for the United States and Israel.

In mid-September, the UN humanitarian coordinator in Yemen was transferred from Sanaa to Aden, the interim capital of the internationally recognized government.

A total of 53 UN workers are still arbitrarily detained by the Houthis, according to UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric.

The Iran-aligned Houthis have controlled most of Yemen, including the capital Sanaa, since seizing power in 2014 and early 2015. The United Nations has repeatedly rejected Houthi accusations that UN staff or UN operations in Yemen were involved in spying. Dujarric last week described the accusations as "extremely worrying."

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Houthis raid UN compound in Yemen, all staff reportedly safe

2025-10-19

[IsraelTimes] The Iranian-backed Iran's Houthi sock puppets

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Ansarullah responds to Zionist minister Katz's threats against Yemen

2025-09-22

[HODHODYEMENNEWS.NET] Mohammad al-Farah, a bigwig in the Ansarullah political bureau, has responded to ''Israeli'' Security Minister Israel Katz's threat to ''fly the 'Israeli' flag'' in Yemen
...an area of the Arabian Peninsula sometimes mistaken for a country. It is populated by more antagonistic tribes and factions than you can keep track of...
's capital, Sanaa.

In a post on X, al-Farah stated that before anyone could speak of raising their flag in Sanaa, they must first resume operations at the defunct port of ''Eilat'' and dare to fly their own flag on their ships, rather than hiding behind the flags of other nations for fear of attacks from Ansarullah's naval forces.

Directing his words at Katz, He added, ''You speak of occupying Sanaa, yet you cannot even reclaim your own 'Israeli' ship, the Galaxy Leader.''

Previously, ''Israeli'' Minister Israel Katz threatened to target Ansarullah leader Abdul-Malik al-Houthi and fly the ''Israeli'' flag over Sanaa, a statement that underscores the significant losses and steady attrition the ''Israeli'' occupation is suffering from Yemeni military strikes.

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Houthi missile, 3rd in 24 hours, falls short of Israel; Katz threatens ‘all 10 plagues’; IDF confirms 12 Houthi ministers toes up, incl. PM

2025-09-05

[IsraelTimes] Iran-backed Yemeni terror group keeps up attacks after Israel killed its PM and other senior officials last week; unknown projectile falls near ship in Red Sea, but no one hurt

The Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen, still reeling from deadly Israeli strikes last week, launched a missile at Israel on Thursday and accused UN staffers of spying for the Jewish state.

Defense Minister Israel Katz responded to the missile attack, writing on X: “The Houthis are firing missiles at Israel again. A plague of darkness, a plague of [death of] the firstborn – we will complete all ten plagues.”

Some hours after later, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations agency said it received a report of an incident 178 nautical miles northwest of Yemen’s Red Sea port of Hodeidah, where an unknown projectile was seen to hit the sea some distance from a vessel.

The vessel and crew were safe and proceeding to their next port of call, UKMTO said in a post on X.

The Houthis have launched several missiles at ships linked to Israel in recent days, though there have been no reported impacts.

The missile launch Thursday marked the Houthis’ third attack on Israel in 24 hours, after the military intercepted two missiles on Wednesday, one in the morning and one in the evening.

The missile fired Wednesday morning was carrying a cluster munition warhead, the Israel Defense Forces said.

There were no injuries in any of the incidents.

The attacks came as the Houthis continued a wave of missile and drone launches over the past week, after Israeli airstrikes killed Houthi Prime Minister Ahmed Ghaleb Nasser al-Rahawi and several members of his cabinet.

HOUTHIS ACCUSE UN STAFF OF SPYING FOR ISRAEL, US
In the wake of Israel’s targeted hit last week, the Houthis arrested at least 11 United Nations workers. A Houthi official told AFP Thursday, on condition of anonymity, that the UN staffers are suspected of spying for Israel and the United States.

For Israel and America? Are they mad?

“Those who were arrested from among the United Nations employees are accused of spying for the American and Israeli aggression,” the official said. “Whoever has the accusations against them confirmed will be referred to trial.”

The detainees included workers from the World Food Program and UNICEF, which provides aid and support for children.
Ahahahahaha!
Dozens of other people were arrested on Saturday “on suspicion of collaborating with Israel,” a Yemeni security source told AFP at the time.

IDF says it intercepted two drones fired from Yemen
[IsraelTimes] The IDF says that the Israeli Air Force intercepted two unmanned aerial vehicles launched from Yemen a short while ago.

The drones were downed before they entered Israeli airspace, and no alerts were activated, in accordance with IDF policy.

The military later releases footage.

IDF confirms it killed 12 Houthi ministers last week, says group’s leader a target for elimination

An IDF graphic of the dead senior Houthi officials can be seen at the link, though the names are all in Hebrew.

[IsraelTimes] The IDF confirms 12 senior Houthi officials were killed in an airstrike in the Sanaa area last week, including the group’s prime minister, and says that its leader, Abdul Malik al-Houthi, remains a target for elimination.

The strike, carried out Thursday, targeted military infrastructure used by senior Houthi military commanders and government ministers allegedly involved in directing terror operations against Israel.

According to the IDF, the Houthis systematically use civilian infrastructure as cover for military activity, diverting an estimated $1.5 billion toward weapons and terror operations at the expense of the local population.

Beyond launching attacks against Israel, the Iran-backed group has also sought to disrupt international shipping lanes in the Red Sea in an effort to undermine global trade.

The IDF says assessments of the strike are ongoing.

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Katz: Top Houthis ''escaping Sanaa'' after IDF killed Yemeni terror group''s PM, ministers

2025-09-03

“The better to hunt you with, my dears.” So much easier to get to when they’re out of the pocket, I understand — assuming it’s true, of course.

[TIMESOFISRAEL] Defense Minister Israel Katz boasted Tuesday that the remainder of the Iran's Houthi sock puppets
...a Zaidi Shia insurgent group operating in Yemen. They have also been referred to as the Believing Youth. Hussein Badreddin al-Houthi is said to be the spiritual leader of the group and most of the military leaders are his relatives. The legitimate Yemeni government has accused the them of having ties to the Iranian government. Honest they did. The group has managed to gain control over all of Saada Governorate and parts of Amran, Al Jawf and Hajjah Governorates. Its slogan is God is Great, Death to America™, Death to Israel, a curse on the Jews They like shooting off... ummm... missiles that they would have us believe they make at home in their basements. On the plus side, they did murder Ali Abdullah Saleh, which was the only way the country was ever going to be rid of him...
leadership was running away from Yemen
...an area of the Arabian Peninsula sometimes mistaken for a country. It is populated by more antagonistic tribes and factions than you can keep track of...
's capital following the Israeli strike that killed the terror group's prime minister and other brass hats.

''The remaining Houthi leadership is escaping Sanaa,'' Katz posted on X on Tuesday night. ''Like all leaders of holy warrior Islamist terror, they look after themselves and abandon the residents,'' he said, writing that Hamas
Hamas

..not a terrorist organization, even though it kidnaps people, holds hostages, and tries to negotiate by executing them,...
's Qatar
...an emirate on the east coast of the Arabian Peninsula. It sits on some really productive gas and oil deposits, which produces the highest per capita income in the world. They piss it all away on religion, financing the Moslem Brotherhood and several al-Qaeda affiliates. Home of nutbag holy manYusuf al-Qaradawi...
-based leadership does the same.

''We knew how to hunt them this time, and we will know how to do so in the future as well,'' he added.

See? And unlike Hamas, they won’t have hostages to hide behind.

Katz's post followed a report in Saudi newspaper Asharq al-Awsat that said the remaining Houthi leadership was currently in an ''unprecedented state of confusion and panic'' after the IDF strike last week.

Several senior Houthi leaders have fled Sanaa to more rural areas in the north of Yemen, the report said, adding that their families have been transported to secure locations.

Houthi leaders also told all senior members not to use government buildings or gather in public places, fearing targeting by Israeli aircraft.

The August 28 strike killed Houthi Prime Minister Ahmed al-Rahawi, along with several other ministers and top Houthi officials, while they attended a meeting in Sanaa, which is run by the terror group.

A Tuesday report said the precision ~~Arclight~~ airstrike
...KABOOM!...
followed weeks of intelligence gathering and operational preparation, and involved some 200 intelligence personnel working in a secret bunker.

According to Israeli security sources cited by the Kan public broadcaster, the operation targeted a secretive security meeting involving top Houthi government and military leaders, identified by the IDF Intelligence Directorate's Research Division.

Kan reported that around 200 intelligence personnel — including members of IDF units 8200, 9900, and 504 — gathered in a classified bunker in central Israel to collect detailed intelligence on the Iran-backed terror group. Representatives from the US Central Command were also reportedly involved.

Ahead of the strike, Israeli intelligence determined the exact timing and location of the meeting. Several potential sites were considered, and once a villa in a residential neighborhood of Sanaa was confirmed, plans were quickly approved by IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir and cleared at the political level, the report added.

According to Kan, the presence of senior Israeli military and political officials overseeing the operation ensured that it complied with international law.

Current estimates reportedly place more than 20 senior Houthi officials as having been inside the targeted villa, alongside aides, drivers, and security personnel. According to the Journal, the strike was part of an approach Israeli soldiers refer to as “FAFO,” an acronym that stands for “fuck around and find out.”

Israeli authorities note that the Houthis deliberately held the meeting in a residential villa rather than an official government building, suggesting an attempt to conceal their movements. The Journal report said that the terror group’s leaders have been taking precautions for months, including switching off their phones, communicating in person, avoiding social media and switching locations on a frequent basis.

Houthi leader Abdul Malik al-Houthi, who has remained in hiding for years, was not among the senior officials killed. In a televised speech on the Houthis’ Al-Masirah TV on Sunday following Israel’s attack, he vowed to continue “targeting Israel with missiles and drones” and to escalate these attacks, asserting that recent Israeli strikes on rebel-held areas of Yemen would not weaken the group or discourage its fighters.

Kan reported that al-Houthi remains a key IDF target for elimination due to his symbolic and operational significance, and that further operations are planned to deter ongoing missile and drone attacks from Yemen toward Israel.

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Houthi leader vows to escalate attacks on Israel after group’s PM killed

2025-09-01

Give them back British Governor Sir Charles Napier’s answer to sati: “Be it so. This burning of widows is your custom; prepare the funeral pile. But my nation has also a custom. When men burn women alive we hang them, and confiscate all their property. My carpenters shall therefore erect gibbets on which to hang all concerned when the widow is consumed. Let us all act according to national customs!”

[IsraelTimes] The leader of Yemen’s Houthi rebels says his group will keep launching attacks against Israel, a day after confirming that an Israeli strike had killed their government’s prime minister in Sanaa.

In a televised speech on the Huthis’s Al-Masirah TV, Abdul Malik al-Houthi vows to continue “targeting Israel with missiles and drones” and to escalate these attacks, adding that recent Israeli strikes on rebel-held areas of Yemen will not weaken the group or discourage its fighters.

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Confirmed: Prime minister of Yemen’s Houthi government killed in Israeli strike

2025-08-31

[GEO.TV] The prime minister of Yemen
...an area of the Arabian Peninsula sometimes mistaken for a country. It is populated by more antagonistic tribes and factions than you can keep track of...
's Iran's Houthi sock puppets

The Times of Israel adds:

A number of others were maimed in Thursday’s strike, it said, without providing details.

Later on Saturday, the IDF also confirmed that Prime Minister Ahmed Ghaleb al-Rahwi was killed alongside several Houthi military officials and other senior members of the group’s political leadership, though it did not name them.

The exact outcome of the strike and the fate of some of those targeted had yet to be determined, it said.

Israel said on Friday that the ~~Arclight~~ airstrike had targeted the Iran-aligned group’s chief of staff, defense minister and other bigwigs and that it was verifying the outcome.

Channel 12, without citing any sources, reported that the IDF assesses the entire Houthi cabinet, including the prime minister and 12 other ministers, were likely killed. The network said the assessment was not definitive.

Mashat’s statement did not make clear whether the defense minister was among the casualties.

Ahmad Ghaleb al-Rahwi became prime minister nearly a year ago, but the de facto leader of the government was his deputy, Mohammed Moftah, who was assigned on Saturday to carry out the prime minister’s duties.

Rahwi was seen largely as a figurehead who was not part of the inner circle of the Houthi leadership.

The Israeli military said its fighter jets had struck a compound in the Sanaa area where senior Houthi figures had gathered, describing the attack as a "complex operation" made possible by intelligence-gathering and air superiority.

On Thursday, Israeli security sources said the targets had been various locations where a large number of senior Houthi officials had gathered to watch a televised speech recorded by leader Abdul Malik al-Houthi.

Israeli intelligence provided real-time details of the gathering, enabling the strike, which was carried out despite heavy air defenses in the area, the IDF said.

The defense minister, Muhammad Nasser al-Attafi, has been in his role since 2016 and is considered the senior-most official in the organization’s military establishment, according to Channel 12.

He is reported to have established a close relationship with Iran’s Revolutionary Guards and with Hezbollah.

Also targeted was Houthi chief of staff Muhammad al-Ghamari, who was reportedly seriously hurt, but not killed, by an Israeli strike in Yemen in June, carried out during Israel’s brief war with Iran.

Thursday’s strikes marked the 16th time that Israel has attacked the Iran-backed rebel group in Yemen, located some 1,800 kilometers (1,100 miles) away.

Courtesy of 3dc:

Muhammad Ayyash Kuehim, the Houthi minister of transportation has been ELIMINATED ❌ pic.twitter.com/G7lvCRNCGk
— Open Source Intel (@Osint613) August 30, 2025

Houthi Sports Minister Mohammed al-Mawlid was ELIMINATED in the Israeli airstrikes. pic.twitter.com/HsyEbUXw1U
— Open Source Intel (@Osint613) August 30, 2025

Houthi Education Minister Hassan al-Saadi has been ELIMINATED ❌ pic.twitter.com/ziKHIP05hj
— Open Source Intel (@Osint613) August 30, 2025

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