In the UAE, ex-deputy US special envoy calls Houthis more dangerous than Hezbollah
In Abu Dhabi, UAE, former Deputy US Special Envoy for Yemen Allison Miner said that Yemen's Houthis are becoming more dangerous than the Lebanese group Hezbollah. According to The National, she made this assessment on the sidelines of the Hili Forum, citing Houthi maritime attacks in the Red Sea, strikes on Saudi Arabia, and cooperation with militant groups, including Somalia's Al-Shabaab.
Assessment by former US official
Miner said that Hezbollah is a fully Iranian proxy, while the Houthis have ambitions of their own and see themselves as a partner of Tehran, rather than necessarily a junior partner. According to her, the Houthis sometimes act more recklessly than Iran in advancing their vision.
During Donald Trump's first administration, Miner served as director for Arabian Peninsula affairs. She now heads the Atlantic Council's Middle East integration project. She believes the Houthis' close ties with Hezbollah have helped them expand operations beyond Yemen and diversify their supply sources and resources.
According to Miner, conflicts in Yemen, Lebanon and Iraq are becoming increasingly intertwined with the confrontation between Iran and the United States and may complicate its settlement.
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Attacks on Saudi Arabia
Miner's statement came hours before Saudi Arabia reported new Houthi attacks. The Saudi side said that dozens of people were affected by the strikes, while energy facilities suffered fires that halted operations there. Riyadh called the wave of attacks a dangerous escalation, accused the Houthis of deliberately targeting civilians and civilian infrastructure, and promised to respond.
The Houthis control Yemen's capital, Sanaa, and significant areas in the west and north of the country. According to an assessment by the US Middle East Institute, their forces number about 350,000 people, including, according to the institute, child soldiers, forcibly recruited African refugees and foreign mercenaries.
Cooperation in the region
The report notes that the Houthis were found to be supplying weapons to and training the Al-Qaeda-linked Somali group Al-Shabaab. According to the publication, in return they receive a share of the ransom that Al-Shabaab collects from ships with the help of armed pirates. Miner called such cooperation alarming and urged that it not be underestimated.
