Houthi Rebels Expand Arms-Smuggling Networks Across African Conflicts, Report Reveals

Growing ties between the Houthis, Al Shabab in Somalia, and the Sudanese Armed Forces have facilitated extensive arms-smuggling networks, significantly broadening the Yemeni rebels' strategic footprint in the Horn of Africa, according to a recent report. The findings indicate that the Iran-backed militia's regional presence leverages the existing Islamic Republican Guard Corps network responsible for arming and training various regional factions. The Century Foundation report identifies Al Shabab and the SAF as key allies situated across the Red Sea.

There is mounting concern that these emerging networks will enable the Houthis—who seized control of northern Yemen by force over a decade ago—to firmly entrench themselves within the Horn of Africa. The report, titled From Spoke to Hub: The Houthis in Africa, notes that the Houthis possess vital resources such as arms, technology, know-how, supply chains, and access to Iran that these groups desire. While these relationships remain transactional, experts warn they could gradually harden into mutual interdependence.

The group recently resumed its attacks on international shipping in the Bab Al Mandeb strait as part of a blockade targeting Saudi Arabia's ports, effectively ending a year-long ceasefire in the Red Sea. On Monday, a Saudi oil tanker was attacked and ignited near the port of Yanbu. Meanwhile, Al Shabab, a Somali organization with links to Al Qaeda, initiated communications with the Houthis in 2024 to acquire anti-aircraft weapons and drones capable of deterring airborne attacks from the US. Although no evidence suggests Al Shabab has yet deployed these advanced weapons, the discovery of operatives in Yemen points to a deepening alliance. This includes the arrest of Al Shabab operative Ahmed Elmi Samatar in Yemen's Mukalla, who confessed to organizing training camps alongside Houthi combatants, and the February 2026 death of Somali national Abdishakur Yahye Ali in a US drone strike in Al Ghaydah, where security forces recovered a Yemeni passport issued by Sanaa authorities in 2023.

In Sudan, the Houthis have reportedly handled small arms and light weapons shipments on behalf of Iran since 2024, with operatives stationed in Port Sudan facilitating traffic across the Red Sea. This dynamic builds upon historical ties between Iran and former Sudanese military dictator Omar Al Bashir, which had been severed in 2016 following an attack on the Saudi embassy in Tehran. The SAF restored diplomatic and military connections with Tehran in 2023 after the outbreak of the Sudanese civil war. Beyond weapons trafficking, the Houthis and the IRGC are believed to be training Sudanese army forces. The report states that veteran engineers and operatives have been sent to instruct Sudanese forces in utilizing and manufacturing Iranian UAV systems. Consequently, a Sudanese state-owned arms maker introduced the Safaroog UAV last year, which closely resembles the Iranian Ababil-T and the Qasef-2k drones produced by the Houthis.

Furthermore, the group is reportedly working with Iranian support to restore ties with Eritrea, utilizing the nation as a logistical hub for Iranian arms transiting to Yemen. The report concludes that these developments point to a continuous logistical footprint running along the African shores of the Gulf of Aden and the Red Sea, stretching from north-eastern Somalia to northern Sudan.