The Iran-backed Houthi rebels have launched multiple missile attacks on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, demonstrating significant military capabilities. The distance from Houthi-controlled areas in Yemen to Riyadh is approximately 900 kilometers, farther than the distance from Busan to Pyongyang (700 kilometers).
On October 11, the Financial Times reported that the Houthis have evolved into one of the most powerful non-state armed groups in the Middle East. In the latest attack on October 11, 12 people were killed and over 300 injured, including an American.
The Houthis have previously targeted Saudi oil infrastructure and seized territory along Yemen's southwestern Red Sea coast. They also captured Perim Island in the Bab al-Mandab Strait, a crucial passageway leading from the Red Sea to Asia and Africa. The Yemeni government recently announced the recovery of this strait.
Farea Al-Muslimi, a Yemen expert at the Chatham House think tank, noted, "Everyone underestimates the Houthis' military power, dismissing them as 'the ones in slippers,' but these 'slippers' could cause winter heating costs to triple." The Houthis are known to engage in combat wearing slippers and casual clothing instead of combat boots or uniforms. Al-Muslimi added, "Ten years ago, they were importing weapons from Africa, but now they manufacture weapons and sell them to former buyers."
The Houthis solidified their military base by capturing the capital, Sana'a, in September 2014. They acquired ballistic missiles and anti-ship weapons from the Iranian Revolutionary Guard at that time. Additionally, knowledge gained from Iran has significantly upgraded the Houthis' military capabilities. Mohamed Al-Basha, head of the security consulting firm Basha Report in Washington, emphasized in an interview with the Financial Times that the Houthis have learned military knowledge and technology from Iran's elite Islamic Revolutionary Guard and the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah. He pointed out that the Houthis have traveled to Iran to learn about anti-ship missiles and drone technology. He explained that the Houthis are now capable of producing drones like the Samad using Chinese components and heavily rely on Iranian technology for ballistic and cruise missiles.
To enhance their military strength, the Houthis are even utilizing American artificial intelligence (AI). A report from Anthropic, which developed the AI model Claude, indicated that a threat organization based in northern Yemen has used Claude for weapon development. According to the New York Times, they are developing ballistic missiles capable of flying up to 2,000 kilometers and inquired with Claude about why field tests had failed.
Meanwhile, former UN Yemen panel member Wolf-Christian Paes pointed out that the weaknesses of the Yemeni government forces are a more pressing issue than the Houthis' weaponry. Despite Saudi Arabia providing numerous weapons to the Yemeni government, the government forces have shown vulnerabilities, such as losing control of the strategic port of Mocha.
Paes noted that issues like ghost soldiers—who are on payroll but do not appear at the front lines—along with delayed or embezzled salaries, are common in Yemen. However, he stated that the Houthis have well-trained commanders and higher morale among their troops due to their political vision and motivation.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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