Yemen Monitor/ Baghdad/ Exclusive:
Two diplomatic sources revealed that the US has requested the Iraqi government to close the Houthi office in Baghdad, which is responsible for coordinating with the Popular Mobilization Forces.
The diplomatic sources spoke to Yemen Monitor on condition of anonymity as they were not authorized to speak to the media.
The sources said that the Iraqi government informed the Houthi office and Iranian officials of the US request, along with the removal of Houthi military commanders who are working with Iraqi Hezbollah militias.
The US believes that the Houthis are transferring Iranian military technology to small Shiite militias that Tehran previously refused to supply.
Yemen Monitor was unable to obtain a comment from the Iraqi or US foreign ministries immediately.
The Iraqi government does not officially recognize the Houthis as representatives of Yemen, as it recognizes the internationally recognized government. However, the Houthis play a significant role that goes beyond diplomatic work.
In September, Hussein Alawi, an advisor to the Iraqi Prime Minister, said that the presence of the Houthi office in Baghdad is part of “popular diplomacy and the presence of Yemeni social parties.” Claiming that his country plays a role in “settlement processes and bringing viewpoints closer.”
Baghdad offered in July 2023 to mediate between the Houthis and the Yemeni government, during a visit by the then Foreign Minister Ahmed Awad bin Mubarak (the current Yemeni Prime Minister).
Sources tell Yemen Monitor that the Houthi office in Iraq is run by Ahmed al-Sharfi (known as Abu Idris), and his dealings are primarily with the security apparatus, Iranian-backed militias, and social entities, while the Yemeni ambassador Osama Mahdi Ghanem, representing the internationally recognized government in Aden, deals with the Iraqi Foreign Ministry.
It seems that Washington is pressing on all levels to dry up the Houthi presence outside the country. According to journalist Faris al-Hamiri, “the US administration has asked the Sultanate of Oman to expel the Houthi negotiating delegation led by Muhammad Abdul Salam, and all the group’s leaders present in the Sultanate’s territory.”
This indicates that the US and the EU will stop negotiating with the Houthis to end Red Sea attacks.
In May, the Houthis and militias affiliated with the Iranian-backed Popular Mobilization Forces announced the coordination of their operations to launch new attacks, raising concerns about their transformation into targeting Gulf Cooperation Council countries after the brutal Israeli war on the Gaza Strip.
In late July, a Houthi military commander was killed during a test of drones. The Washington Post said that the killed Houthi military commander was preparing to confront US forces in Iraq.
