The Iranian government has been accused of pushing the Houthis of Yemen to have close cooperation with the al-Shabaab group fighting in Somalia.
American intelligence officials who have not mentioned their names told news agencies that Iran is part of the Houthis’ plan to supply weapons to the Al-Shabaab group.
A report published in the AFP news agency said that Iran wants to strengthen its influence in Aden, so that attacks against the United States can be carried out from there.
The US has already warned against this potential partnership in recent weeks.
US intelligence has raised the possibility that this could worsen the situation in Somalia, the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, where the Houthis have been attacking commercial ships and US military assets since the Gaza war.
The United States said that Iran’s plan to give Al-Shabaab new sources of weapons to the Houthis could lead to Al-Shabaab taking control of drones to attack American targets.
