Ex-Houthi Speaker Claims Group Seeks Advanced Weapons Against Israel

A former spokesperson for the Houthi movement, Ali al-Bukhaiti, stated in an interview with N12 that "Ansar Allah" (the Houthi movement) aims to acquire more precise and dangerous weaponry to confront Israel. He indicated that the Houthis intend to develop an arsenal of chemical or biological weapons as a deterrent. Al-Bukhaiti emphasized that the movement's leadership fears a large-scale military operation from Israel, similar to actions against Hezbollah, and specifically targeting the Houthi leader Abdul-Malik al-Houthi.

The report notes that the Houthi seizure of the strategic Bab el-Mandeb strait is seen as an operation by the "Iranian axis," not a local Yemeni initiative, intended to pressure the United States, Europe, and Saudi Arabia. Experts also point to coordination between the Houthis and Shiite groups in Iraq for potential strikes on Saudi Aramco oil facilities.

Al-Bukhaiti served as the official Houthi representative until 2015 before fleeing Yemen. He has since become a vocal critic of the regime and now works as a political analyst.