Iran-Backed Houthis Close In On Yemen’s Last Northern Stronghold

(New York, N.Y.) – The Iran-backed Houthis have made significant gains in the battle against the Yemeni government to overtake Yemen’s last northern stronghold, Marib, formerly a place of refuge for Yemeni civilians fearful of the Houthis indiscriminate attacks. 

Aided by what U.S. officials describe as “quite significant” and “lethal” support from Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Quds Force, the Houthis march towards Marib comes amid escalating missile and drone strikes against neighboring Saudi Arabia – home to about 70,000 Americans – and a further deteriorating humanitarian crisis. Houthi forces have used landmines, child soldiers, hostage-taking, rape, human shields, and diversion of UN food aid in its multi-year campaign against the Yemeni government.

Millions of civilians and displaced people are at risk of falling victim to attacks from the one-time U.S.-designated Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO). The Biden administration rescinded the FTO and Specially Designated Global Terrorist designations of the Houthis (officially known as Ansarallah) in one of its earliest national security decisions. The move helped to embolden the Houthis to seize full control of Yemen, step-up attacks on civilians, and brazenly target infrastructure in Saudi Arabia. 

United Against Nuclear Iran's (UANI) resource, Iran’s Proxy Wars: Houthis, analyzes the Islamic Republic’s backing of the Houthis as part of the regime’s worldwide terror campaign. UANI’s Iran’s Proxy Wars: Yemen resource outlines Iran’s financial and militaristic support of the Houthis and the destabilizing consequences for Yemen from these activities. 

To read UANI’s Iran’s Proxy Wars: Houthis resource, please click here. 

To read UANI’s Iran’s Proxy Wars: Yemen resource, please click here. 

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