Sharp Increase In Attacks By Iran-Backed Houthis Follows U.S. Reversal On Terror Designation

(New York, N.Y.) — The Iran-backed Houthis attacked a major Saudi Arabian oil facility with drones and missiles over the weekend in another dangerous cross-border attack targeting civilians and critical infrastructure. Missile defense systems, which prevent the majority of attacks from causing damage or casualties, are being used more frequently in recent weeks to thwart Houthi attacks. The uptick in aggression follows the end of U.S. support for Saudi-led coalition offensives in Yemen and the rescission of the group’s Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) and Specially Designated Global Terrorist designations.

United Against Nuclear (UANI)’s 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.

In a similar vein to Iran’s efforts to establish forward operating bases in Syria and Lebanon to encircle, threaten, and provoke Israel, Iran’s relationship with the Houthi rebels in Yemen offers Iran a staging ground to attack Saudi Arabia. Since 2015, the Houthis have used Yemeni territory under their control as launching pads to fire more than 100 missiles and drones at the Kingdom. Such strikes have landed on multiple cities, including Riyadh, the Saudi capital. In recent years, the most serious attack on the oil giant was in September 2019, when the Houthis knocked out more than half the country’s oil output for days with a missile attack on a refinery.

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

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

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