Yemeni minister accuses Houthi rebels of manufacturing chemical weapons

Moammar Eryani warns of potential for 'catastrophic scenarios'

Houthi soldiers stand guard on a missile carrier during an official military parade in Sanaa. AFP

Moammar Eryani, Yemen’s Minister of Information, has accused Houthi rebels of manufacturing chemical weapons from smuggled components.

He told The National his assessment was based on recent intelligence from several sources, marking the first direct accusation of its kind from a Yemeni government official.

“The Houthi terrorist militia has established a factory for producing chemical weapons, under the direct supervision and management of Iranian experts,” said Mr Eryani.

“The Tehran regime recently smuggled toxic gases and materials used in their manufacture, in batches, into areas under its control,” he added. “Our confirmed sources indicate that the militia has already begun preparing those deadly materials and mounting them on ballistic missiles and drones.”

The Houthis, a heavily armed militia, control Yemen's capital Sanaa and much of the country’s north and west. Since the civil war began in 2014, the group has steadily expanded its arsenal, posing a major threat to neighbouring states and international shipping.

Until the end of 2018, the Houthis relied on ballistic missiles seized from Yemeni army stockpiles. Over the past five years, however, they have shifted to long-range explosive drones capable of evading radar.

Many of their weapons were initially based on Iranian designs or directly supplied by Tehran, but reports suggest the Houthis have since become largely self-sufficient in building and developing their arsenal.

“This constitutes an extremely dangerous escalation and a flagrant violation of international law, the Chemical Weapons Convention, and the relevant Security Council resolutions on Yemen,” said Mr Eryani.

“The introduction of internationally prohibited weapons into the Houthi militia's arsenal goes beyond the traditional threat posed by ballistic missiles and drones. It places the region and the world before catastrophic scenarios,” he added.

The National contacted the office of the UN special envoy to Yemen as well as US and UK entities involved in Yemen policy, but received no immediate response.

A fighter standing next to a drone in Sanaa. EPA

Two Yemeni sources close to the government confirmed that a confidential report had recently been sent to the presidency, detailing suspected sites where the Houthis may be producing banned weapons.

Both sources said the smuggled shipments arrived some time this year. One added that another shipment, this time conventional weapons, was intercepted last month by Yemeni forces. Captured smugglers allegedly admitted to previous attempts to move chemical precursors and prohibited weapons components into the country.

The US has praised Yemeni forces under Gen Tariq Saleh, nephew of the late president Ali Abdullah Saleh, for intercepting the same shipment at Aden port. Central Command said the operation uncovered drones, jet propulsion systems, wireless devices and advanced control components.

The cargo, bound for the Houthi-controlled Red Sea port of Hodeidah, was confiscated during a joint inspection by counterterrorism, customs and police units, in co-ordination with the public prosecutor and port authorities.

'Secret laboratories'

Mr Eryani called on the UN, the Security Council, the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, and all international parties to take “urgent and effective action to stop these grave violations, investigate the smuggling of chemical materials and provide real support to the legitimate government to restore the state and extend its authority over all Yemeni territory”.

Former Yemeni army generals previously told The National that Iran has become adept at resupplying the group by smuggling at sea, using civilian vessels, and moving supplies to remote inlets and ports.

Like Hezbollah in Lebanon and various armed factions in Iraq, the Houthis are part of the so-called “Axis of Resistance” – an Iran-led coalition of militant groups in the region. The alliance has been significantly weakened in the past year, particularly following the assassination of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, widely regarded as its central figure, and Iran’s most senior general at the start of the recent war with Israel.

The US has long accused Iran of supplying the Houthis with weapons and components to build missiles and drones. In early 2015, senior Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps commander Esmail Ghani, who now heads the powerful Quds Force, went on record to say “those defending Yemen have been trained under the flag of the Islamic Republic”, but denied smuggling weapons to the war-torn country.

“It is clear that the Iranian project goes further, turning Yemeni territory into secret laboratories for producing and testing toxic, chemical, and biological agents,” said Mr Eryani.

Iranian weapons provided to Yemen's Houthi rebels. Photo: Ministry of Defence

Since the war in Gaza began, the Houthis have sought to expand their regional role by attacking what they claim are Israel-linked vessels in the Red Sea and firing missiles and drones towards Israel.

Last week, Israel killed at least 10 Houthi civilian government officials, including the group’s prime minister in their unrecognised government, in an escalation that underlined the militia’s emergence as a growing global security threat.

In the Middle East, chemical weapons have ranged from advanced nerve agents like sarin to mustard gas. But making those weapons requires specific industrial precursors, specialised equipment, and trained chemists.

The chemicals themselves are often dual-use, meaning they have legitimate applications in agriculture or industry but can also be refined into weaponised agents.