The protracted wars in Sudan and Yemen are merging and spilling beyond their traditional areas of operation, suggests Fernando Carvajal in an analysis published by The Middle East Forum.
Carvajal added “While Washington and the West continue to view Houthi operations as limited in scope and geography, signs increase that the Houthis are intent on expanding their operations beyond the relatively narrow focus of current anti-Houthi naval activities”.
Carvajal found that Iran now apparently facilitates the Houthi expansion into Sudan as the Islamic Republic renews relations with Abdel Fattah al-Burhan’s own Sudanese Armed Forces.
The Houthis benefit from port and warehouse facilities in and around Port Sudan and can use its airport as a transit point for weapons and technology.
Use of Sudan’s coastline would allow the Houthis, and Iran, to deflect attention from battered Houthi areas in Hodeidah and Sana’a.
The Houthis co-opted, and Iran augmented, Yemen’s own legacy smuggling routes to establish ties with Somalia’s al-Shabaab and Puntland pirates
Carvajal concluded that the risk for the Houthis along the Red Sea increased late in 2024 when Iran’s spy ships left the general area of Bab-el-Mandab. The Combined Maritime Forces have seized a number of small vessels smuggling weapons for the Houthis this year, so the risks increase for Houthi operations 600 miles away from their shores.