(Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs) Lt.-Col. (ret.) Michael Segall - On March 26, 2018, the Houthi Shiite Muslim militia in Yemen, backed by Iran, fired seven ballistic missiles at strategic targets in Saudi Arabian territory, marking the third anniversary of the launch of military action by the Saudi-led coalition against the Houthis. Several days earlier, the Houthis shot "new" Badr 1 ballistic missiles at Aramco oil installations inside Saudi Arabia and the bases of Saudi special forces. Iran sees Yemen as a testing ground for its missile capabilities in a future conflict with Israel. According to the head of the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), Gen. Joseph Votel, "Iran achieved in five years in Yemen supporting the Houthis what it did in Lebanon with Hizbullah in two decades." Testifying before the U.S. House Armed Services Committee on Feb. 27, 2018, Votel added, "We go to China Lake to test our weapons systems. [Iranians] go to test their weapons systems in Yemen." The writer is a senior Iran affairs analyst at the Jerusalem Center.
2018-03-28 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive