According to a Reuters report, the Houthi movement carried out an attack on Saudi Arabia from Iraqi territory this week, marking increased coordination between the Yemen-based group and Iraqi Shiite militias. The report describes the operation as part of the tightening integration within Iran's 'Axis of Resistance,' despite ongoing US and Israeli strikes against its members.
The Houthi attack on Saudi Arabia from Iraqi territory, confirmed by Reuters on Thursday with multiple sources, marks a significant escalation in the coordination of Iran's 'Axis of Resistance.' The operation, which involved Iraqi Shiite militias and oversight by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), was reported to have been launched from Iraqi soil. The specific targets and casualties remain unconfirmed, but the attack underscores the expanding operational reach of Houthi and allied forces beyond Yemen's borders.
At 17:46 Jerusalem on Thursday, initial reports emerged of explosions in the Yemeni capital Sana'a, followed by unconfirmed claims of a Houthi strike on Saudi targets from Iraq. Within minutes, two regional sources told Reuters that the Houthis had indeed carried out the attack from Iraqi territory. By the same hour, further sourcing revealed that the operation was coordinated with Iraqi armed groups under the direct supervision of the IRGC. The rapid corroboration—from an initial report to multiple named sources—reflects the depth of intelligence sharing on the Iranian proxy network.
This development follows a pattern of escalating Iranian proxy activity, as The Zioneer has reported. On July 27, Iraqi Shia militias joined Houthi strikes on Saudi oil facilities, with fires reported at the Abqaiq facility. Earlier, on July 25, reports indicated that the US, Israel, and Gulf states were preparing a joint military operation against Iran and the Houthis. The IRGC's role in overseeing cross-border operations from Iraq was previously documented in The Zioneer's July 27 analysis, which noted that Tehran has been operating covert cells in Iraq to strike Gulf neighbors while maintaining deniability.
The precise targets of the attack, the scale of damage, and any casualties remain unverified. It is also unclear whether the explosions reported in Sana'a were related to the operation or were a separate incident. The lack of official Saudi confirmation leaves room for further refinement of the details.
6 developments
- DevelopingHananel Aviv: Iraqi Shiite Militias Join Houthis in Striking Saudi Oil Targets
- StrongHouthis launch attack on Saudi soil for first time since March 2022
- DevelopingSaudi Arabia reportedly strikes Houthi targets in Al-Jawf province
- StrongHouthis strike Saudi provinces of Jazan, Yanbu overnight and this morning
Source and signal
- Open-source intake