Viktor Bout, the Russian arms dealer infamously known as the “Merchant of Death,” is reportedly negotiating an arms deal with Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen, according to the Wall Street Journal. Bout, who was released from a U.S. prison in a high-profile prisoner exchange for WNBA star Brittney Griner in December 2022, has re-entered the arms trade, with talks underway to sell $10 million worth of small arms to the Houthis.
The Houthis, a U.S.-designated terrorist group, sent representatives to Moscow in August to discuss the potential deal, though the shipment has not yet been finalized. This move signals a potential escalation in Russia’s involvement in the Middle East and its relations with U.S. adversaries. Such an agreement would add another layer of tension to U.S.-Russia relations, particularly as the U.S. continues to support Ukraine in its defense against Russian forces.
Bout, 57, now serves as a politician in Russian President Vladimir Putin’s party. His return to arms brokering raises concerns, especially given his history as one of the world’s most notorious weapons traffickers. His attorney, Steve Zissou, defended Bout’s involvement, likening it to the U.S. supplying arms to Ukraine, stating, “If the Russian government authorized him to facilitate the transfer of arms to one of America’s adversaries, it would be no different than the U.S. government sending arms… to Ukraine.”
Bout was convicted in the U.S. in 2011 for conspiracy to sell arms to terrorist organizations and had served 12 years of a 25-year sentence before his release.
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