Houthi mobilize troops in Yemen with unclear target, as possible strike on Iran looms in

According to the report, the Houthis have mobilized on various fronts within Yemen, in what may be an attempt to “ignite a new round of war.”

The Houthis may be mobilizing forces for an offensive, a report at Al-Ain media in the UAE said on February 21. The Houthis‘ objectives are unclear. However, the report of mobilization is important because it comes amid heightened tensions with Iran.

It also comes after the UAE and Saudi Arabia almost clashed over differing policies in Yemen. The Saudis have supported the government of Yemen, while the UAE has supported a group in southern Yemen called the Southern Transitional Council.

What does the Al-Ain report say? According to the report, the Houthis have mobilized on various fronts within Yemen. It may be an attempt to “ignite a new round of war.” What sources told Al-Ain is that “the Houthi militias have sent military reinforcements to Marib Governorate, where oil fields are located, and to the Hodeidah fronts on the Red Sea, in addition to reinforcements to the northern border fronts.”

Move against Saudi-backed forces?

This could indicate a Houthi move against the Riyadh-backed government forces in Yemen. It could also be part of a Houthi plan to take advantage of Saudi-UAE tensions or to pounce as US-Iran tensions grow. It’s also possible that Al-Ain is being fed misinformation designed to create tensions. Because there are so many possibilities, it is worth being skeptical about the reports.

The report goes on to say that the “sources explained that large Houthi military groups moved on Saturday from the city of Amran, located 50 kilometers north of Sana’a, led by the Houthi leader Mohammed Zaid Yahya Al-Makhdhi, nicknamed Abu Ali, to the northern border fronts of the country.”

In addition, “the sources indicated that the military force that the militias deployed to the Saada and Al-Jawf fronts on the northern borders of the country comes as part of the group’s military mobilization to all fronts,” while adding that the Houthis have also sent commanders to the Hodeidah governorate. This is an area near a port that shares the same name. This port was targeted numerous times by Israel last year when the Houthis were targeting Israel with ballistic missiles.

The report goes on to say that “the Houthis force had received intensive training at a Houthis ‘ training camp in Sana’a, before being deployed through Naqil Manakhah to Hodeidah. On February 18, the Houthi militias sent unprecedented reinforcements from Sana’a to the fronts of Marib Governorate, under the leadership of commander Khaled Mohammed Al-Nadhari, nicknamed Abu Ayman.”

Lastly, the report argues that Houthi fighters arrived at the Marib front. This area has been an active frontline in the past. Over the last three years, the clashes between the Houthis and the Saudi-backed Yemen government have been reduced. This is part of a wider shift in the region in which Riyadh also settled some of its problems with Iran. Riyadh has also grown closer to Turkey and Qatar over the past year, as it has distanced itself from the UAE’s policies in the region. This mostly led to a reduction in tensions with the Houthis.

Al-Ain concludes that “the unprecedented Houthi mobilization and ground attacks on the battlefronts threaten to collapse the fragile UN-brokered truce in place since 2022 and return the situation to square one, according to observers.” It is unclear if this is part of a wider attempt by Iranian-backed groups to create tensions in the region. Reports on February 21 said that Hezbollah is also considering escalation with Israel. Iranian-backed militias in Iraq have also threatened the US and Israel in the past.