IRAQ MOVES UNDER US PRESSURE TO LIMIT HOUTHI ACTIVITIES
The Iraqi government has pledged to restrict the activities of Yemen’s Houthi-aligned government within its borders, confining their operations to media and cultural endeavours, according to sources cited by Al-Araby Al-Jadeed. This decision comes amid heightened international scrutiny and pressure, particularly from the US, which has intensified its aggression against Yemen.
Since 2018, the Houthis have maintained a presence in Baghdad’s Jadriya neighbourhood, operating an office overseen by Abu Idris Al-Sharafi. This office has facilitated coordination with Iraq’s Popular Mobilisation Forces (PMF) and other pro-Iran factions. According to the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace (CEIP), the Houthis have leveraged Iraqi territory for logistical support, including the smuggling of arms and subsidised fuel to Yemen, often in violation of international embargoes.
The Houthis’ integration with Iraqi resistance factions has extended to joint military operations. In July 2024, Houthi missile specialist Hussein Mastour was killed alongside members of Kataib Hezbollah in a US air strike targeting a drone facility in Jurf Al-Sakhar.
Despite official denials of an operational Houthi presence, sources indicate that “many of their activities — particularly political and media-related ones — have been halted, but the movement’s representatives remain in Iraq.” Abdulrahman Al-Jazaeri of the State of Law coalition acknowledged international pressure to close Houthi offices, stating, “All such activities are being monitored… strictly limited to civilian, media and cultural work only.”
Supporters of the Sanaa-based government, currently only recognized by Iran, argue that Iraq has offered them essential space to resist aggression and support the resistance in Gaza against the occupation state. Far from posing a threat, the Houthis’ presence in Iraq is seen as part of a broader struggle for sovereignty and regional justice in the face of Western-backed encirclement.
