### Viktor Bout Reportedly Engages in Arms Deal with Yemen's Houthi Rebels

The infamous Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout, recently freed in a prisoner exchange for WNBA star Brittney Griner, is now allegedly attempting to negotiate arms deals with the Iran-aligned Houthis in Yemen, as reported by the Wall Street Journal. Bout, known globally as the "Merchant of Death," currently functions as a local politician under President Vladimir Putin's administration. Despite his political role, Bout appears to have revisited his old trade, notably engaging in talks with Houthi representatives who visited Moscow in August, to broker an approximately $10 million contract for small arms.

Although the transaction has not yet been finalized, the potential arms deal between Moscow and the Houthis - a group the U.S. labels as terrorists - would exacerbate existing tensions. This move is particularly provocative given President Biden's administration has recently approved the use of Western weapons by Ukraine for offensive operations within Russian territory. The possibility of Russia arming American adversaries could be seen as a direct countermeasure to Western military support for Ukraine.

Steve Zissou, Viktor Bout’s attorney in New York, rationalized the move by drawing parallels to American actions. Zissou remarked that, just as the U.S. provides weapons to Russia's adversaries like Ukraine, the Russian government's potential authorization for Bout to supply arms to U.S. opponents would be a reciprocal act. Bout, who had not been actively involved in the arms transport sector for over two decades, was freed in December 2022 after serving 12 years of a 25-year sentence.

Bout has previously equated his imprisonment in the United States to Griner’s incarceration in Russia, highlighting the perceived injustice in both cases. During an interview with ESPN, he noted the similarity of public outrage, questioning the legitimacy of conspiracy charges against him, given that the concept barely exists in Russian legal terminology. He shared a brief moment with Griner during their exchange, recalling their interaction as both poignant and routine.

The re-emergence of Viktor Bout in the international arms arena underlines the volatile nature of global geopolitics, with major powers continuing to leverage proxy conflicts in pursuit of broader strategic aims.