US military commander says Houthi arsenal has become more powerful

The Breaking Defense website quoted the commander of the US Fifth Fleet, stating that the Houthi group in Yemen now has a more powerful military arsenal than it did a decade ago.

“There’s a line of effort right now that continues to look at all supply coming into the Houthis and … we  don’t believe is necessarily limited to the Iranians,” he said in a webinar hosted by the Center for International and Strategic Studies on Wednesday. “The Iranians certainly back the Houthis, but the Houthis are diversifying.”

Compared to a decade ago, the Houthis have “developed … far beyond the ways we used to look at the Houthis being supplied”, he added.