Iranian-Backed Houthis Launch Attacks on Saudi Ship, U.N. Facility

(New York, NY) – The Counter Extremism Project (CEP) today issued updated resources on the Iranian-backed Houthis, following attacks the group launched on January 30. A Saudi ship patrolling in the Red Sea was reportedly attacked by three Houthi “suicide gunboats,” killing two crew members and injuring three. 

On the same day, a building in southern Saudi Arabia near the Yemeni border used by U.N. staff to monitor ceasefire operations was hit by Katyusha rockets. The Houthis were responsible for rocket attacks on U.S. Naval vessels on October 9 and 12, 2016. While unsuccessful, the attacks led to U.S. retaliatory strikes against the radar installations used to target the ships.
Backed by Iran, the Houthis have waged a series of bloody insurgencies against the Yemeni government for more than a decade and rejected a 2011 peace agreement that ended the Yemen civil war. In 2014, they captured Yemen’s capital, Sanaa, and attempts by the United Nations to broker peace in Yemen and return the internationally recognized government have failed. 

The Houthis are known for their virulently anti-American and anti-Semitic rhetoric, including the group’s ubiquitous slogan: “God is great! Death to America! Death to Israel! Curse upon the Jews! Victory to Islam!”

CEP