Yemen's Houthi rebels get 'unprecedented' outside military support: UN report

Yemen's Houthi rebels are transforming themselves into a "powerful military organization" due to "unprecedented" military support from outside sources, particularly Iran and Hezbollah, according to a UN report published Friday.

Since the beginning of the war in Gaza last year, the Houthis, who have controlled large swaths of war-torn Yemen for a decade, have "exploited the regional situation and enhanced cooperation with the 'axis of resistance,'" which includes Iran, Hamas and Hezbollah, the UN experts said.

The panel noted "the transformation of the Houthis from a localized armed group with limited capabilities to a powerful military organization, extending their operational capabilities well beyond the territories under their control."

The report, which analysed the period from September 2023 through July 2024, said such a transformation was aided by the transfer of military materiel and financial support.

The rebels also benefited from training and technical assistance provided by the Quds Force, the foreign operations arm of Iran's Revolutionary Guards, as well as Hezbollah and pro-Iran groups in Iraq, the UN experts said.

"Joint operational centers have been set up in Iraq and Lebanon, with Houthi representation, aimed at coordinating joint military actions," they said.

"The scale, nature and extent of transfers of diverse military material technology provided to the Houthis from external sources, including financial support and training of its combatants, is unprecedented," the report warned.

The report is based on testimony from military experts, Yemeni officials and sources close to the Houthis.

Experts found that the rebels themselves lack the ability to "develop and produce complex weapon systems," such as the missiles they have used to target ships in the Red Sea.

But they also said some of their weapons bear similarities with equipment used by Iran and Iran-backed groups.

The Houthis have targeted ships linked to Israel in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden since last year in what they describe as support for Palestinians during Israel's war on Gaza.

The attacks have seriously disrupted a route which carries 12 percent of global trade, triggering reprisal strikes by the United States and Britain against rebel targets in Yemen.

Houthi fighters are being trained outside Yemen, either in Iran or at Hezbollah training facilities in Lebanon, the panel said.

Hezbollah is named as one of the Houthis' "most important supporters" due to the militant group's involvement in rebel decision-making, support for assembling weapons systems, financing, "ideological guidance" and propaganda efforts.

The report says the Houthis have carried out a vast recruitment project, resulting in a force that numbered 350,000 in mid-2024, as compared with 220,000 in 2022.

"While the panel has not been able to independently verify the number of newly recruited fighters, a large-scale mobilization would be a matter of concern," it said.