YEMEN: The Houthi advance along Yemen’s Red Sea coast shows the group retains significant military capability despite reduced Iranian support, retired U.S. Army Maj. Gen. James “Spider” Marks said Saturday.
Marks told Fox News that the Houthis had demonstrated “an immense amount of resilience” after years of fighting. He said they still had weapons stockpiles and could maintain and manufacture some capabilities locally.
He said support from Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps had diminished considerably. However, he argued that the reduction had not removed the Houthis’ ability to conduct further operations. “A push by the Houthis really should not surprise us,” Marks said.
His assessment followed reports that Houthi forces had seized the Yemeni port city of Mocha and pushed toward positions near the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. The waterway links the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden and serves as a major commercial shipping route.
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Marks said Saudi Arabia faced the challenge of confronting entrenched Houthi forces while strengthening its infrastructure against possible future attacks.
He also pointed to a U.S. military presence near the Bab el-Mandeb and additional carrier capacity heading toward the region, saying Washington would be better able to provide support if required.
