Weapons dealers in Yemen are openly using the social media platform X, formerly Twitter, to sell various arms, including Kalashnikovs, pistols, grenades, and grenade launchers. These traders are based in Sana’a and other regions controlled by the Houthi rebels, a group backed by Iran and designated as terrorists by both the US and Australian governments.
“It is hard to believe that these weapons dealers are not acting on behalf of the Houthis,” said Edmund Fitton-Brown, a former British Ambassador to Yemen who now works with the Counter Extremism Project. “Independent dealers looking to profit from supplying, for example, the Yemeni government, would be swiftly shut down.”
An investigation by The Times newspaper revealed that several Yemeni accounts selling weapons on X, formerly known as Twitter, have been verified with a blue tick. Despite requests for comment from both The Times and the BBC, X has not yet responded. This comes after most of the platform’s content moderators were laid off following Elon Musk’s acquisition of the company in 2022.
The advertisements, primarily in Arabic, target Yemeni customers in a country where the number of guns reportedly exceeds the population by three to one. The BBC discovered several examples online offering weapons priced in both Yemeni and Saudi riyals. The ads use enticing language to attract buyers. “Premium craftsmanship and top-notch warranty,” reads one ad. “The Yemeni-modified AK is your best choice.” A demonstration video, shot at night, shows a seller firing a 30-round magazine on full automatic. Another ad offers sand-colored, Pakistani-produced Glock pistols for around $900 each.
These ads are not hidden on the Dark Web, where illegal items are typically traded, but are openly visible on X, accessible to millions. In response, the UK-based NGO Tech Against Terrorism issued an urgent plea to tech platforms to actively remove Houthi-supporting content from the internet and social media platforms.
The Houthis, a mountain-based tribal minority, took control of Yemen in 2014, ousting the UN-recognized government. Despite a seven-year military campaign led by Saudi Arabia, the Houthis have remained in power, plunging the country into civil war. By late 2023, the Houthis, who possess a wide array of drones and missiles—many supplied by Iran—began targeting commercial and naval shipping in the Red Sea. They claim these actions are in support of Palestinians in Gaza, though many of the targeted vessels have no ties to Israel. A US-led maritime force has so far been unable to prevent these attacks, which have significantly disrupted trade through Egypt’s Suez Canal.
