Report: Iran Expands Houthi Presence Along Red Sea’s Western Coast
A recent analytical study by Yemen’s Al-Mukha Center for Strategic Studies has exposed the Houthi group’s growing influence along the western Red Sea coast, warning that their presence, bolstered by Iran, threatens regional security and international shipping lanes.
The report highlights escalating Houthi attacks on maritime traffic since October 2023 as evidence of this danger.
The Iran-backed Houthis have significantly expanded their footprint across Sudan, Eritrea, Djibouti, and Somalia, leveraging Tehran’s support to entrench themselves in strategic locations. According to the research paper authored by researcher Anwar Qasim Al-Khadhri, this expansion is part of a decades-long effort, beginning in Sudan in 2001 and later advancing with direct backing from Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). The group aims to dominate critical chokepoints, particularly the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a vital maritime corridor.
Exploiting Sudan’s Crisis
The study traces Iran’s historical ties with Sudan, reactivated amid the country’s ongoing conflict between the army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF). Tehran has reportedly resumed arms shipments to Sudan, facilitated by the Houthis’ smuggling networks. This marks a reversal from Sudan’s prior alignment with the Arab Coalition supporting Yemen’s internationally recognized government.
By reactivating this partnership, Iran seeks to deepen its regional influence, while the Houthis gain a foothold for weapon smuggling and operational staging along the Red Sea.
Eritrea: Covert Logistics Hub
Since 2008, Iran has used its relationship with Eritrea’s regime to provide the Houthis with logistical support. Despite Asmara’s 2014 announcement severing ties with Tehran, evidence suggests ongoing covert collaboration. The report cites an Eritrean Afar tribesman’s testimony confirming Houthi cells—funded and armed by Iran—operating near the Red Sea. These groups allegedly stoke separatist sentiments in the Afar region, which spans Eritrea, Djibouti, and Ethiopia.
Djibouti: Neutrality in Question
Djibouti renewed diplomatic relations with Iran in 2023 after a seven-year freeze, coinciding with heightened Houthi activity. The country’s proximity to Yemen has made it a transit point for Iranian weapons smuggled via fishing vessels. The study reveals collusion between Houthi operatives and influential Djiboutian port and security officials, enabling clandestine arms trafficking.
A Washington Institute for Near East Policy analysis warns that such ties undermine Djibouti’s claims of neutrality and risk transforming the nation into a hub for illicit operations.
Somalia: A Tripartite Alliance
In Somalia, the Houthis have forged a troubling partnership with Al-Shabaab and Al-Qaeda, brokered by the IRGC. Leaked confessions from a Houthi recruit detail extensive smuggling networks moving weapons, personnel, and supplies through Somali waters since late 2024, often with pirate assistance. Intelligence reports further suggest tactical coordination between the Houthis and Al-Shabaab, raising alarms that the Red Sea could become a nexus for regional instability.
Urgent Calls for Action
The report cautions that unchecked Houthi expansion threatens not only Yemen but the entire region’s maritime security and global trade.
It criticizes the international community for inadequate support to Yemen’s legitimate government and calls for:
Stricter UN-led arms embargo enforcement
African states to reject cooperation empowering the Houthis
Collective measures to stabilize the Red Sea
In conclusion, the study emphasizes that the Houthi presence on the Red Sea’s western coast is a transnational security crisis demanding immediate intervention to protect economic and strategic interests.
