HOUTHIS LEADER THREATENS TO LAUNCH MISSILES ON UAE CAPITAL, SAUDI OIL FACILITIES

On September 14, Sayyid Abdul-Malik Badreddin al-Houthi leader of Ansar Allah Movement – Known as the Houthis – threatened to target the UAE capital Abu Dubai in a live speech on the Yemeni al-Masirah news TV channel. Sayyid al-Houthi said that the UAE is now within the range of Houthis missiles.

“All companies (working) in the UAE should no longer see it as safe,” Sayyid al-Houthi said.

Sayyid al-Houthi revealed that his forces conducted a “successful” test of a new missile that could reach the Abu Dhabi city 600km away. On August 30, Yemeni sources speculated that Houthis launched a ballistic missile on the UAE capital Abu Dhabi. Only now it is confirmed that the Houthis could have these capabilities.

UAE Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Anwar Gargash responded to Sayyid al-Houthi threats on Twitter and said that his country is not intimidated by Houthi threats.

“The Houthis’ comments threatening the UAE and its capital are tangible proof of the need for the Decisive Storm [The name of the Saudi-led military operation in Yemen],” Gargash said.

Moreover, Sayyid al-Houthi revealed in his speech that UAVs of the Houthis have flown many times for hundreds of kilometers over the Saudi territories. Sayyid al-Houthi threatened that soon these UAVs will bomb targets inside the Saudis territories even.

On March 23, a researcher of the Conflict Armament Research group said that UAE forces reported that the Houthis use Iranian-supplied suicide UAVs to target the radars of the Saudi-led coalition MIM-104 Patriot surface-to-air missile systems deployed in Yemen.

Sayyid al-Houthi statement and the Conflict Armament Research group research confirms that the Houthis have the ability to conduct attacks using UAVs.

Furthermore, in his speech Sayyid al-Houthi warned Saudi Arabia from attacking the strategic al-Hudaydah seaport on the Red Sea in western Yemen. Sayyid al-Houthi said that many oil production facilities in Saudi Arabian are within the range of his force missile.

Sayyid al-Houthi even said in his speech: “We [The Houthis] could target Saudi oil tankers and we could do anything.”

The Houthis already proven that they are capable indeed of attacking sea vessels with various weapon systems.

On January 30, the Houthis hit a Saudi Navy frigate with a Remotely-Controlled Boat-Borne Improvised Explosive Device (RC BBIED). On October 1, 2016, the Houthis hit the US-made HSV-2 Swift vessel that was operation for the UAE Navy with an unidentified anti-ship missile.

There is a real chance that the Houthis could be capable of carrying out at least a a part of their commander’s threats relaying mainly on the Iranian-supplied technology.

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