Iraqi intelligence sources have revealed an expansion of Houthi militia activities within Iraq, characterized by joint coordination offices and sites with Iran-aligned armed factions. These operations reportedly focus on developing drones, missiles, and explosive devices.
According to a report by American broadcaster Al-Hurra, citing sources close to the matter, a portion of the Houthi presence is concentrated in the Jurf al-Sakhra region south of Baghdad, which is under the control of the Hezbollah Brigades. The activities also extend to religious, social, and economic offices in Baghdad, Karbala, Najaf, Maysan, Muthanna, Wasit, Babylon, and Diyala governorates.
Sources indicate that the Houthis do not operate large, independent camps within Iraq. Instead, they utilize shared headquarters and sites with Iraqi armed factions. Elements and experts associated with the Houthi group are reportedly involved in military activities, including the development of drones, missiles, and explosive devices.
Information suggests that these activities are coordinated with Iraqi armed factions. The Lebanese Hezbollah and the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps are said to play a role in organizing aspects of this collaboration, according to the sources who spoke to Al-Hurra.
The Houthi presence in Iraq became publicly noticeable in July 2024, following the death of Houthi leader Hussein Abdullah Mastour Al-Sha'bal in an American strike that targeted a Hezbollah Brigades site in Jurf al-Sakhra. Reports indicated that Al-Sha'bal specialized in drone technology.
In July 2026, another Houthi leader was killed alongside IRGC members and Iraqi militants in Saudi and American strikes targeting sites within Iraq, following attacks on oil facilities in Saudi Arabia's Eastern Province. Regional officials cited by Reuters stated that Saudi and regional assessments concluded Houthi involvement in attacks originating from Iraqi territory in coordination with Iraqi armed factions.
Sources cited by Al-Hurra mentioned an incident from 2024 where a Houthi leader entered Iraq with a forged passport, despite being on American terror watchlists. Armed factions reportedly assisted the individual in leaving Baghdad Airport after an American request for his arrest by Iraqi authorities. The sources did not disclose the leader's name, and Al-Hurra could not independently verify the details or his subsequent whereabouts.
An security expert collaborating with an Iraqi intelligence agency, who spoke to Al-Hurra anonymously, believes that the deaths of several Houthi leaders within Iraq over two years reflect the level of coordination among Iran-backed armed groups. He suggested that the Houthi role, based on his information, extends beyond advisory capacity to direct military activities on Iraqi soil.
Despite these developments, Al-Hurra has stated that it could not independently verify all details of the deployment provided by sources, nor did the sources offer specific numbers regarding Houthi personnel in Iraq. The Houthis have maintained a representative office in Baghdad for several years, operating parallel to the embassy of the internationally recognized Yemeni government. The revelation of potential joint military activities raises questions about the transition of cooperation between Iran-aligned armed groups from the arenas of Yemen and Iraq to a broader network for developing missile and drone capabilities.
