Iran Lures Yemenis With $100 Monthly Pay To Join Houthis

Iran is enticing Yemenis with an offer of $100 per month to join its proxy Houthi militia in their endeavors against Israel and disruptions to Red Sea shipping.

A Friday report in The Telegraph has revealed the aggressive recruitment drive that has seen thousands joining the ranks in recent weeks, tapping into Yemen's vulnerable population, where over 80% live below the poverty line.

“The money offered to fighters is dwarfed by the $1,300 (£1,020) a month Iran pays to members of Hezbollah’s military wing in Lebanon,” the report said, noting that “the disparity has triggered discontent within the Iranian Revolutionary Guard, which controls the funding and training of foreign militias.”

Citing a November speech by leader of the Houthis’ Supreme Revolutionary Committee, Mohammed al-Houthi, The Telegraph said 10,000 Yemenis had been recruited to support Hamas in its war on Israel. “But in recent weeks, thousands more have been taken on for the new battlefront.”

The report came within hours of large-scale airstrikes by the United States and the United Kingdom on Houthis in response to the group's repeated attacks on commercial vessels.

The Houthis have been targeting cargo ships of different nationality since mid-November, after Israel began its onslaught on Gaza, effectively closing down a major maritime route and disrupting the global flow of goods. The attacks began after Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei called for blockading Israel.