Arms Dealer's Comeback: Weapons for Yemen Rebels?

You might remember Viktor Bout, the Russian arms dealer who got into trouble over weapons sales a while back. Well, he's apparently diving back into the business after being released in a big prisoner swap two years ago. According to reports, he's trying to sell automatic weapons worth millions to the Houthi rebels in Yemen, who are backed by Iran and have been causing trouble for ships in the Red Sea. Bout was even spotted at a meeting where the Houthis wanted to buy guns under the guise of buying vehicles and pesticides. It's not clear if Russia is directly involved or just quietly supporting it.

The Houthi rebels haven't been nice neighbors to ships, especially commercial ones in the Red Sea. Their attacks have led to some serious economic headaches for everyone, driving up insurance costs and making shipping routes more expensive. Some of their attacks even targeted US and Israeli military vessels. This has caught the attention of US officials, who worry that these disruptions could drive up prices for everyday things like food and medicine. While Bout's deal doesn't include super-dangerous anti-ship missiles, it still raises eyebrows. It could mean Russia is getting more involved in this Red Sea crisis.

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