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US Escalates Efforts to Combat Iranian Weapons Smuggling into Yemen
US Weapons: The Attempts to Stop Delivering Resource to Yemen (PHOTO: The Spectator)
The Houthis and Their Maritime Smuggling Operations
The Biden administration is intensifying efforts to monitor and stop Iranian weapons smuggling into Yemen, where Houthi militants have been causing violence against commercial shipping. The plan aims to map Tehran’s nautical routes and halt arms shipments, but is limited due to limited military resources.
An anonymous source discussing classified military activities described the evolving mission as “a renewed effort to try to better understand what those water routes look like,” in line with other officials contacted for this story. The official stated that tight cooperation with the US intelligence community is required for the assignment. A senior defense official praised Washington’s vigorous efforts to combat Iranian arms smuggling, stating that the US is exploring ways to increase partner countries’ attention on the issue. He urged all economically impacted governments to take more action, despite the difficulty in identifying every craft in the region.
The Houthis, a proxy group in Iran, are hostile to Israel and the US in the Middle East. They have evolved from rebels to the de facto government in Yemen. Despite claims of solidarity with Hamas fighters fighting Israeli forces, their targeting has been indiscriminate. Houthi militants inherited weapons from China, Soviet-era missiles, and North Korea, and have since developed sophisticated weapons using foreign technology, particularly Iran.
The Defense Department has recorded 105 strikes on merchant vessels near Yemen since November, with 40 of these attacks occurring in the last week. The weapons arsenal includes underwater and wave-skimming drones, rockets, ballistic missiles, and assault drones. Some attacks have been repelled by American-led operations.
The US has been focusing on a war against al-Qaeda in Yemen for over ten years, neglecting the Houthis, who prioritize thwarting Saudi air campaigns over attacking American or Western targets. The Pentagon’s understanding of the group’s smuggling operations is limited. The UN reports maritime smuggling begins at Iranian ports.
According to al-Basha, since 2013, at least eighteen maritime interdictions have taken place, exposing shipments of weaponry purportedly originating from Iran, including antitank missiles and machine guns. There has been more smuggling through the Horn of Africa.
The amount of material that has slipped through the cracks is unknown, therefore it is challenging for the US to evaluate how well its recent strikes—of which there have been dozens since January—have hindered the Houthis’ capacity to carry out their maritime assaults.
US Military Encounters Shortage of Crucial Surveillance Capabilities
The US weapons and US military faces a shortage of drones and surveillance tools, which are crucial for global security. The Pentagon has reallocated weaponry from the Middle East, prioritizing China, to shift surveillance capabilities from Afghanistan to the Red Sea, Iraq, and Syria, where attacks by Iran-supported groups have occurred.
According to Kurilla, the US needs to provide more money for “additional capabilities.” According to U.S. sources, the Houthis have shot down at least two MQ-9 Reaper drones off the coast of Yemen, once in November and once in February.
The Pentagon is increasing interdiction efforts, but no extra Special Operations soldiers are expected for the dangerous mission of board ships suspected of bringing Iranian weaponry to Yemen. Marine Corps Marines are not expected to participate due to a lack of amphibious ships under Navy supervision.
A few ship-boarding operations that were made public in recent months have provided glimpses into the mission’s evolution. Two Navy SEALs were lost at sea while attempting to board a smuggling vessel off Somalia. Coast Guard apprehended 14 people after finding Iranian-made weaponry, including missile components. Four charged with warhead transportation. Coast Guard agents detained a vessel in the Arabian Sea.
Retired Lieutenant General Carl Mundy III identifies military missions in the Middle East as risky and unpredictable. These missions involve fast-roping from helicopters to alleged smuggling vessels or landing on water. Mundy notes that uncertainty about threats adds to the difficulty of the operation.
Elite troops like SEALs, Force Reconnaissance Marines, and Coast Guard marine security response teams can conduct boarding operations in the Red Sea, but gathering and interpreting intelligence takes time. Retired Marine Corps general Kenneth McKenzie Jr. emphasizes stopping Houthis access to deadly weapons from Iran.
McKenzie stated, “We have to acknowledge that and allocate resources in opposition to it.” He stated that while “also the platforms that allow us to actually do the intercepts, and we need to work with our coalition partners in order to do this,” surveillance resources are mostly needed for that.
Elana DeLozier, a Yemeni expert, suggests that the Houthis may cease attacking if Israeli military operations in Gaza end, as they gain additional advantages by supporting the Palestinian cause. According to DeLozier, “it becomes a black-and-white thing that is convenient for the Houthis.”
