The Houthis are preparing to leave Hodeidah… What are they doing?

21st November 2024

2 minutes read

The Houthis are preparing to leave Hodeidah... What are they doing?

Serious movements have been observed in Hodeidah, signaling a major withdrawal of the Houthi militia, amidst fears of an international and local military operation to end their control over the coastal city of Hodeidah.

Security and local sources said that Houthi militia leaders have started liquidating their properties and investments in the agricultural areas of Tihama and its main cities, with Hodeidah at the forefront.

The sources added that “Houthi militia leaders are liquidating their properties, selling their shares of loot accumulated over the past years, and converting these properties into cash in foreign currency, then transferring them to Sanaa, Saada, and Hajjah.”

Moreover, “some Houthi leaders have kept a share of these properties by transferring ownership to people from Hodeidah who have business and family ties with them, which were established over the past years.”

According to the sources, the process of property swapping began with exchanges between owners, where Houthi leaders gave their properties in Hodeidah to businessmen and traders in exchange for land in Sanaa, even if the properties they received in Sanaa were of lesser value.”

The militias also transferred many government agency databases to Sanaa, as well as servers and electronic equipment belonging to several government entities in Hodeidah.

There has been increasing concern among Houthi leaders and members about the possibility of an international military intervention to liberate Hodeidah, led by the United States.

The election of Donald Trump as president and his return to the White House have intensified the Houthi militias’ fears of an imminent military operation against them in Hodeidah, prompting them to take preemptive measures to prepare for their defeat and departure from the city, which serves as their base for operations against maritime routes in the Red Sea.

Since November of last year, the Houthis have been conducting attacks on oil tankers along global trade lines, as part of an escalation coordinated with Iran and its regional proxies.

The Houthi militias have announced over 200 attacks on oil tankers and U.S. military ships in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden.

Since January, U.S. and British forces have been conducting strikes as part of a military coalition aimed at limiting Houthi capabilities and curbing their attacks on international shipping lanes passing through the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden.