Sana’a — Yemeni officials have issued a stark warning about the expanding cooperation between the Iran-backed Houthi movement and Somalia’s Al-Shabaab insurgents, describing the alliance as a “strategic threat” to security across the Red Sea and Horn of Africa.

According to a recent statement from Yemen’s Ministry of Defense, intelligence reports confirm the transfer of advanced weaponry, including drones and missile components, from Houthi-controlled areas to Al-Shabaab strongholds in southern Somalia. The Yemeni government claims that this partnership is enabling both groups to escalate maritime attacks and arms smuggling operations across the Gulf of Aden.

The warning follows a United Nations report detailing in-person meetings between Houthi operatives and Al-Shabaab commanders in 2024, aimed at coordinating training and equipment transfers. Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud has also voiced concern over the alliance, citing intercepted shipments of explosives and drone technologies originating from Yemen.

Security analysts say the collaboration is largely pragmatic, with Al-Shabaab offering coastal intelligence and piracy networks in exchange for access to Houthi military technology. This has led to a surge in piracy incidents and attacks on commercial vessels transiting the Bab al-Mandab Strait, a vital global shipping route.

Yemen’s government is urging regional and international actors to intensify surveillance and counterterrorism efforts, warning that the alliance could destabilize not only Yemen and Somalia, but also neighboring countries such as Ethiopia, Kenya, and Djibouti.