Advisers from the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah began coordinating with the Houthis around 2006. Arms transfers between the groups were initially limited, however, in part because small arms were so readily available inside Yemen at the time. But in 2009, the Yemeni government claimed to have intercepted two ships traveling from Eritrea to Midi Port in northwestern Yemen carrying rifles and anti-tank missiles, along with what local and international media described as “Iranian” military advisers, who were more likely Lebanese nationals…

Exploiting the chaos of the conflict in Sudan, Iran and the Houthis may be expanding their supply chains into the Red Sea. Numerous reports claim long-standing links between the Houthis and smuggling networks in Sudan and Eritrea, but until recently these appeared to be primarily related to trafficking small arms, African migrants seeking passage through Yemen to nearby Gulf Arab states, and illicit drugs. But Yemeni and regional officials are insistent that advanced weapons components and other materiel are now being flown into Eritrea and Sudan before being smuggled to Yemen…

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