Sana’a: Iran-backed Houthi fighters allegedly used an AI-generated voice recording impersonating Yemeni commander Lieutenant General Tareq Mohammed Abdullah Saleh during their capture of the strategic Red Sea port of Mocha.
Saleh’s National Resistance Forces accused the Houthis of cloning his voice and circulating a fake message instructing troops to withdraw. The claim was also reported by Mocha-based Aljoumhouriya TV, which described the alleged operation as an attempt to confuse soldiers and damage their morale. The authenticity and battlefield impact of the recording have not been independently verified.
Mocha’s capture represents a major development in Yemen’s conflict. The port lies near the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a crucial maritime route linking the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean.
The alleged voice-cloning operation emerged alongside separate findings about Houthi-linked use of artificial intelligence. Anthropic’s threat report said actors in northern Yemen had used its Claude Code system in work involving missile guidance, navigation and control software.
The developments highlight how AI is increasingly becoming part of modern psychological and military operations, potentially allowing relatively low-cost digital tactics to complement conventional battlefield attacks.