The former US ambassador warned that the Houthis are emerging as a global threat beyond Iran's control amid Saudi attacks
The Landerking team warns that the Houthi rebels are building domestic weapons capabilities independent of Iran, turning the conflict in Yemen into a global threat.
It is said that the Houthis are advancing their missile capabilities with the help of China
The Houthis are acting increasingly independently of Tehran and pose a "clear and very present danger" on the international stage as the terrorist group rearms and sharpens its strike capabilities, a former US envoy warned on Thursday.
The warning was issued amid deadly missile and drone attacks on Saudi Arabia in recent days and increasing threats to global shipping lanes and critical infrastructure in the Middle East in the future.
Turki al-Maliki, the spokesman for the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen, also confirmed on Thursday that Houthi attacks on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh from October 7 to 11 left 17 dead and 333 wounded.
Al-Maliki told a news conference in Riyadh that the October 10 attack involved 10 drones, missiles and other projectiles.
"King Khalid International Airport has been attacked 20 times since (October 1)," he noted.
Tim Landerking, who served as the U.S. special envoy to Yemen from 2021 to 2025 and was assigned to Saudi Arabia from 2013 to 2016, said Saudi officials warned more than a decade ago that the Houthis would become a major threat, a prediction he said has now come true.
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"The Saudis were very clear to our leaders that they saw the Houthis as a major threat," Landerking said of his time in the kingdom a decade ago.
At the time, he said, the group was "quietly building itself. It shows why they were looking to lead Yemen as a messianic group, as a group from northern Yemen, with an agenda, with a mission."
The Houthis emerged as a religious and political movement in Yemen in the 1990s, but their relationship with Iran turned into a military partnership after 2014, when Tehran expanded its aid and training during Yemen's civil war.
Landerking, former assistant secretary of state for Near Eastern affairs at the US State Department, continued: "The Houthis don't really need the Iranians anymore.
Over time, the Houthis have developed a "native indigenous capability" as they take advantage of any rifts across the Gulf region, said Landerking, now a distinguished diplomat at the Middle East Institute (MEI).
Saturday's missile and drone attack on Riyadh's King Khalid International Airport raised concerns that US President Donald Trump could be drawn into a wider regional conflict as Saudi Arabia seeks US help.
Asked whether the United States would defend Saudi Arabia against further attacks, Trump said: "You'll find out soon enough."
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In an MEI briefing, Landerking said the advanced weapons and targeting capabilities of the Houthis have turned the group from a regional insurgency into an international security threat.
"They have the ability to attack around the region, including as far north as the Red Sea. So, it's a regional problem, given the fact that the Houthis control the western coast of Yemen," Landerking said.
Landerking cited the accuracy of the Riyadh airport attack as evidence of the Houthis' growing capabilities compared to previous attacks during the Gaza conflict.
"They can hit things better. Now they're specifically hitting terminal four at Riyadh Airport. It's a clear and very present danger," he said.
Landerking said the Houthis have developed extensive arms supply chains, smuggling networks and internal financial operations that allow them to continue their attacks without relying on Tehran.
A former Pentagon official warned that the Houthis entered America's "kill box" after seizing the Red Sea cork.
They get a lot of resources from the open market through the Internet and through commercial exchanges. They have a very strong smuggling network, from big boats to small boats, on small boats, on pack animals, on people's backs.
“They can move objects undetectably across government land, even across different borders and with a lot of open space. They are constantly moving, building, replenishing, storing, innovating."
The self-sufficiency of this group also extends to financing. Landerking said the Houthis use black market oil sales, taxation and extortion while forcing families to hire, allowing the group to continue fighting even if Iranian aid is cut off.
"They've supported Iran over the years, so they have that money in the bank," Landerking said.
In the past, they relied on black market oil sales. They extort money from Yemeni transport companies and commercial companies. They tax the people in the areas under their control. They force many families to offer a son to fight on the front lines."
The Houthis' expanding arsenal has raised concerns about possible Chinese interference in their arms supply networks.
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The Yemeni government has accused the rebels of seeking Chinese parts for intermediate-range ballistic missiles, raising concerns about the group's access to advanced military technology.
"There is a Chinese connection here that is very damaging," Landerking warned.
Landerking warned that the Houthis could also target Saudi Arabia's energy facilities, pipelines and desalination plants, critical infrastructure for the kingdom's economy and water supply.
"The Houthis have hit the pipelines," he said. "They have diesel power plants and other energy infrastructure in their sights."
Attacks on such facilities could disrupt global energy markets, maritime trade, and regional stability.
The Houthis also control Yemen's western coast along the Red Sea, a vital shipping corridor that connects Europe and Asia.
With insurgents now able to attack targets hundreds of miles away, Landerking warned that the threat extends far beyond Yemen's borders.
"An explosion at Riyadh airport is a big statement," said the expert.
"That's why I'm coming back to the fact that this is an international conflict," he said, adding that "immediate action is needed."