Iran is providing Yemen's Houthi rebels with materials to manufacture armour-piercing improvised explosive devices, according to a new report by an arms tracking group.
“Improvised weapons used by Yemen’s Houthi forces have been manufactured using the same, identically configured components as those recovered from Iranian-backed groups in Bahrain,” said James Bevan, executive director of Conflict Armament Research (CAR), a UK-based organisation that monitors the flow of weapons to conflict zones.
“CAR’s latest findings confirm consistencies in Iran’s military support, not only to Houthi forces, but also to its proxies across the wider region.”
The report is being released on Monday, the third anniversary of the Saudi-led Arab coalition's intervention to support the Yemeni government against the Iran-backed rebels. It says the latest findings suggest that Iran's arming of the Houthis "began as early as January 2013".
The coalition has repeatedly presented evidence showing Iran's involvement in smuggling weapons to the Houthis, while the United Nations has said that Iran has violated an arms embargo by providing missiles and drones to the militia.
The United States said in December that two Houthi missiles fired into Saudi Arabia last year were Iranian Qiam missiles, based on their design and components recovered from the missile debris. Presenting the evidence, the US ambassador to the UN, Nikki Haley, said the missiles were among a range of weapons supplied to the rebels by Iran, including attack drones, explosives-laden boats designed to be rammed into targets, and anti-tank rockets.
The CAR report compares findings on radio-controlled explosive devices recovered in Yemen and those it has documented in other areas of the Middle East. The devices were camouflaged to resemble natural rocks and contained explosively formed projectiles (EFPs) — plates of metal that are shaped by the force detonation into projectiles capable of piercing armoured vehicles.
“EFPs concealed in synthetic rocks and documented by CAR in Yemen closely resemble, in design and construction, devices recovered in Iraq and Lebanon, which parties have previously linked, forensically, to Iran,” said the report.
The Houthis placed these devices "along motorways connecting Mokha-Dhubab, Mokha-Taez and Mokha-Khawkha” — areas on Yemen's Red Sea coast where government and coalition forces have been battling for control since last year.
“Arab coalition forces recovered the most recently emplaced device in January 2018, which CAR documented in the same month,” the report said.
It also said that material previously seized on board the Jihan 1 — a ship that was intercepted by Yemeni forces off the country's coast in 2013 — was identical to material documented in Yemen by CAR.
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“This confirms widespread assertions that the vessel was destined for Houthi forces in Yemen and would suggest that Iranian support to Houthi forces began as early as January 2013,” said CAR — whose investigation teams conducted six missions to Yemen between April 2017 and February 2018.
The use of EFPs hidden in synthetic rocks has strong precedent elsewhere, the report added. The Iran-backed Lebanese group Hezbollah has consistently employed similar devices against Israeli forces in Israel and southern Lebanon.
CAR's latest findings build upon its previous reporting of Iran's involvement in the supply of small arms, light weapons and drones to the Houthi rebels.
The Yemen war was triggered when the Houthis seized the capital, Sanaa, in September 2014 and later advanced south, taking large swathes of the country. After entering the war at the request of President Abdrabu Mansur Hadi on March 26, 2015, the coalition has helped pro-government forces to retake much of the territory captured by the rebels. However, Sanaa remains under rebel control.
Sarfira
Director: Sudha Kongara Prasad
Starring: Akshay Kumar, Radhika Madan, Paresh Rawal
Rating: 2/5
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8
Power: 680hp at 6,000rpm
Torque: 800Nm at 2,750-6,000rpm
Transmission: Rear-mounted eight-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 13.6L/100km
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Price: From Dh970,000
Graduated from the American University of Sharjah
She is the eldest of three brothers and two sisters
Has helped solve 15 cases of electric shocks
Enjoys travelling, reading and horse riding
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
Company Profile
Company name: Cargoz
Date started: January 2022
Founders: Premlal Pullisserry and Lijo Antony
Based: Dubai
Number of staff: 30
Investment stage: Seed
Mia Man’s tips for fermentation
- Start with a simple recipe such as yogurt or sauerkraut
- Keep your hands and kitchen tools clean. Sanitize knives, cutting boards, tongs and storage jars with boiling water before you start.
- Mold is bad: the colour pink is a sign of mold. If yogurt turns pink as it ferments, you need to discard it and start again. For kraut, if you remove the top leaves and see any sign of mold, you should discard the batch.
- Always use clean, closed, airtight lids and containers such as mason jars when fermenting yogurt and kraut. Keep the lid closed to prevent insects and contaminants from getting in.
Zayed Sustainability Prize
TWISTERS
Director:+Lee+Isaac+Chung
Starring:+Glen+Powell,+Daisy+Edgar-Jones,+Anthony+Ramos
Rating:+2.5/5
The years Ramadan fell in May
Sun jukebox
Rufus Thomas, Bear Cat (The Answer to Hound Dog) (1953)
This rip-off of Leiber/Stoller’s early rock stomper brought a lawsuit against Phillips and necessitated Presley’s premature sale to RCA.
Elvis Presley, Mystery Train (1955)
The B-side of Presley’s final single for Sun bops with a drummer-less groove.
Johnny Cash and the Tennessee Two, Folsom Prison Blues (1955)
Originally recorded for Sun, Cash’s signature tune was performed for inmates of the titular prison 13 years later.
Carl Perkins, Blue Suede Shoes (1956)
Within a month of Sun’s February release Elvis had his version out on RCA.
Roy Orbison, Ooby Dooby (1956)
An essential piece of irreverent juvenilia from Orbison.
Jerry Lee Lewis, Great Balls of Fire (1957)
Lee’s trademark anthem is one of the era’s best-remembered – and best-selling – songs.
The specs
Engine: 1.4-litre 4-cylinder turbo
Power: 180hp at 5,500rpm
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What drives subscription retailing?
Once the domain of newspaper home deliveries, subscription model retailing has combined with e-commerce to permeate myriad products and services.
The concept has grown tremendously around the world and is forecast to thrive further, according to UnivDatos Market Insights’ report on recent and predicted trends in the sector.
The global subscription e-commerce market was valued at $13.2 billion (Dh48.5bn) in 2018. It is forecast to touch $478.2bn in 2025, and include the entertainment, fitness, food, cosmetics, baby care and fashion sectors.
The report says subscription-based services currently constitute “a small trend within e-commerce”. The US hosts almost 70 per cent of recurring plan firms, including leaders Dollar Shave Club, Hello Fresh and Netflix. Walmart and Sephora are among longer established retailers entering the space.
UnivDatos cites younger and affluent urbanites as prime subscription targets, with women currently the largest share of end-users.
That’s expected to remain unchanged until 2025, when women will represent a $246.6bn market share, owing to increasing numbers of start-ups targeting women.
Personal care and beauty occupy the largest chunk of the worldwide subscription e-commerce market, with changing lifestyles, work schedules, customisation and convenience among the chief future drivers.
COMPANY PROFILE
Company name: Alaan
Started: 2021
Based: Dubai
Founders: Parthi Duraisamy and Karun Kurien
Sector: FinTech
Investment stage: $7 million raised in total — $2.5 million in a seed round and $4.5 million in a pre-series A round
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Xpanceo
Started: 2018
Founders: Roman Axelrod, Valentyn Volkov
Based: Dubai, UAE
Industry: Smart contact lenses, augmented/virtual reality
Funding: $40 million
Investor: Opportunity Venture (Asia)
Company Profile
Name: Direct Debit System
Started: Sept 2017
Based: UAE with a subsidiary in the UK
Industry: FinTech
Funding: Undisclosed
Investors: Elaine Jones
Number of employees: 8
Kill
Director: Nikhil Nagesh Bhat
Starring: Lakshya, Tanya Maniktala, Ashish Vidyarthi, Harsh Chhaya, Raghav Juyal
Rating: 4.5/5
Herc's Adventures
Developer: Big Ape Productions
Publisher: LucasArts
Console: PlayStation 1 & 5, Sega Saturn
Rating: 4/5