Although Abdel Malek al-Houthi, the leader of the Houthis, a Shiite former rebel group with suspected strong ties with Iran, has argued earlier this month that his faction seeks now to enter mainstream political and thus leaves behind its para-military past, officials this week have accused the group of sending militants to support Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's military efforts against the Free Syrian Army.
These accusations have been mirrored by claims that Washington has encouraged President Abdo Rabbo Mansour Hadi to facilitate the transfer of Yemeni Jihadists to Syria to fight alongside the Free Syrian Army.
Already the Hezbollah and Iran have publicly declared their unwavering and unrestricted support of the Assad regime, prompting fears that the Houthis, who themselves are sponsored by Tehran are using their men power and military expertise to promote Iran's agenda in the region, assuring that Syria remains within the Ayatollahs' fold.
"The arrival of Houthi fighters in Syria coincided with the announcement of Hezbollah’s involvement in the fighting alongside the Syrian regime,” wrote Asharq alAwsat, a pan-Arab newspaper, reinforcing warnings from political security experts that Yemen is being used as a proxy by regional powerhouses, putting a strain on its internal affairs as factions are looking to find a way to occupy the same political space.
Officials are also concerned that the Houthis would receive military training at the hands of the Hezbollah, which expertise could then be used back in Yemen against the central government to engineer a rebellion or promote a coup d'état.