Khaled Abdullah/Reuters
- An analyst has warned that the Houthis' next target could be undersea internet cables.
- Yemen's UN-recognized government said there is a "serious threat" to global digital infrastructure.
- Houthis have previously disavowed the notion, and may not have the technology to reach the cables.
Yemen's UN-recognized government has warned of the possibility that Houthi rebels could cut undersea internet cables off the country's Red Sea coast, calling it "a serious threat to one of the most important digital infrastructures in the world."
Moammar Al-Eryani, the Aden-based government's minister for information, culture and tourism, posted the statement to X following an analysis published in the Gulf International Forum.
That analysis warned of the potential shift in the Houthi's strategy in the Red Sea.
Such a move would see the Houthis' strategy shift from targeting shipping — itself deeply disruptive to the global economy — to the global flow of information.
The Houthis have previously disavowed the notion.
In the analysis published last week, analyst Emily Milliken at the DC-based Askari Defense & Intelligence described undersea cables as the Houthi's "next casualty."
Remarking on the Houthi's continued targeting of shipping, Milliken added that the group "may adjust its strategy to address a new — and perhaps more critical — target: the lattice of undersea telecommunications cables that line the Bab el-Mandeb strait."
She pointed to a post on a Telegram channel reportedly affiliated with the Houthis that shared a map of undersea cables, noting that they connect not only Yemen but entire continents.
"Even partial damage to the undersea cables could eliminate internet access across vast areas, causing major economic disruptions for entire countries," she wrote.
This is important because of how reliant the world and global economies have become on access to the internet.
At present, the Houthis don't have the submersible technology to reach the deep waters that the cables typically sit in, Milliken wrote.
But, she added, relatively shallow waters in the area make this more feasible, especially with the help of combat diver training and its possession of naval mines.
Yemen's General Telecommunications Corporation condemned the threat in a statement to The Guardian.
According to the outlet, Yemen Telecom has also urged telecomms groups not to work with the Houthis in order to prevent knowledge of the cables falling into their hands.
In December, Yemen's Houthi-controlled Ministry of Telecommunications and Information Technology said it "disclaims" any "so-called threats" reported in the media.
It said that its ban on Israeli vessels — which it considers an enemy — does not apply to those conducting work on the cables.
The latest statements come amid US strikes on Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen.
On Sunday, US Central Command announced it had struck four anti-ship cruise missiles it claimed were being readied for use against ships in the Red Sea.
This was the latest in a series of pre-emptive actions taken by the US against the Houthis, in an effort to protect globally-used shipping lanes, as Business Insider's Jake Epstein has reported.
The Houthi's attacks on shipping, ongoing since last November, are part of the group's stated goal of hitting Israeli-linked vessels in support of Palestinians in Gaza.