Baghdad denies existence of Houthi offices, rejects hosting foreign armed groups

BAGHDAD — Iraq’s government on Wednesday denied that Yemen’s Houthi movement maintains offices in the country, dismissing reports of an organized presence and reaffirming that Iraqi territory would not be used by foreign armed groups to threaten neighboring states.

Government spokesperson Haider al-Aboudi told the Iraqi News Agency that authorities had no officially recorded Houthi headquarters or offices operating in Iraq.

“There are no registered headquarters of this kind inside Iraq,” Aboudi said, adding that the government had no reason to issue a decision concerning facilities it did not recognize as existing.

He criticized what he described as the continued circulation of claims on social media about the group’s presence.

The denial contrasts with previous reports of a Houthi-linked office in Baghdad’s Jadriya district and the identification of Abu Idris Ahmed al-Sharafi as the movement’s representative in Iraq. The office’s formal status has remained unclear, and Iraqi authorities have not publicly confirmed that it operates as an officially recognized mission.

On Sept. 16, Iraqi Sunni politician Jamal al-Dhari called on al-Zaidi to close Houthi offices following Saudi allegations that the movement had attempted to target Mecca with a drone. The Houthis denied targeting the holy city. Al-Dhari urged governments hosting Houthi representatives to end their activities.

The issue resurfaced after an Oct. 15 Saudi-led coalition briefing in Riyadh, where an Iraqi military officer was photographed among Arab military representatives. Iraqi lawmaker Hamed al-Mousawi subsequently demanded an investigation into the officer’s presence. The controversy also drew attention to ties between some Iran-aligned Iraqi armed factions and the Houthis, including Kataib Hezbollah’s public support for attacks on Saudi Arabia.

Aboudi said the presence of armed organizations from other countries would violate Iraq’s constitutional principles and reiterated the government’s position against involvement in regional conflicts.

“Iraq will not be a launching point for attacks against neighboring countries and will not host any armed group participating in a particular conflict,” he said.