Exclusive: Houthis Transfer Iranian Technology to Armed Groups in Sudan

    Sheba Intelligence has obtained information from intelligence sources indicating that the Houthi group, working with cross-border smuggling networks, has transferred low-cost Iranian military technology — particularly missiles and drones — to armed groups in Sudan.

According to the sources, smuggling networks operating between Yemen, the Horn of Africa and the Red Sea have facilitated a series of negotiations between representatives of the armed group in Yemen and Sudanese armed actors. The most recent meeting, held last week, reportedly discussed a new mechanism and emerging routes for arms smuggling across the Red Sea.

The sources said the Houthis rely on smuggling networks with ties and influence in Yemen and the Horn of Africa, and use islands near Eritrea as temporary storage sites for weapons and components used in ammunition production. These sites are also believed to be used for assembling parts of drones and missiles.

Sheba Intelligence has also obtained the names of four Houthi military commanders believed to be involved in managing or coordinating arms-smuggling operations toward Sudan. The full details of the roles attributed to these commanders could not be independently verified.

The information comes as Sudan witnesses a sharp increase in the use of drones by the warring parties. The UN Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights recently warned before the UN Human Rights Council of the growing use of drones in Sudan’s conflict, saying that more than 1,000 civilians were killed in drone strikes between January and May 2026. That figure accounted for around 80 percent of recorded civilian deaths during the period.

The emerging picture suggests that Sudan’s war is no longer confined to conventional frontlines. It is increasingly linked to the movement of low-cost military technology through regional smuggling networks, compounding risks to civilians, infrastructure and security across the Red Sea and the Horn of Africa.

Observers say the transfer of drone-related expertise and technology to non-state armed groups in Sudan could mark a more dangerous phase in the conflict, especially if such capabilities are combined with flexible smuggling routes, temporary storage hubs and cross-border networks that are difficult to monitor or disrupt.

These developments are deepening concerns that the Red Sea could become a dual-use corridor: not only for conventional commercial and military supply chains, but also for the trafficking of low-cost military technologies capable of reshaping the balance of power inside fragile conflict zones, with Sudan at the forefront.