Sources allege deployment aimed at strengthening Houthi military capabilities
DUBAI: Iran flew members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), military advisers and equipment linked to missile and drone systems into Yemen earlier this month, according to a Reuters report citing four sources familiar with the matter.
The sources, including two Iranian officials, Yemen’s information minister and a regional security analyst, told Reuters that the personnel and equipment arrived aboard a Mahan Air flight on July 13. According to the report, the aircraft was initially scheduled to land in the Houthi-controlled capital, Sanaa, but diverted to the port city of Hodeidah after Sanaa airport reportedly came under attack.
Reuters reported that between 10 and 21 IRGC personnel, including senior commanders, were on board the flight. One source also alleged that gold was transported to help finance Houthi activities. These claims have not been independently verified.
Officials allege military support
Yemen’s Information Minister Moammar al-Iryani told Reuters that intelligence indicated the deployment was intended to strengthen Houthi military capabilities and increase their ability to threaten shipping in the Red Sea and the Bab al-Mandab Strait.
Security analyst Mzahem Alsaloum also told Reuters that the cargo allegedly included components for short- and medium-range missiles as well as drones similar to systems previously used in regional attacks.
Iran’s Foreign Ministry was not immediately available for comment on the Reuters report. Tehran has consistently denied supplying the Houthis with missile capabilities, while the Houthi movement has repeatedly stated that it develops its own weapons and is not an Iranian proxy.
Regional tensions continue
The reported deployment came days before the Houthis announced a naval blockade targeting Saudi Arabia and later claimed attacks on two Saudi oil tankers in the Red Sea.
Separately, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said the July 13 flight primarily returned a Houthi delegation and Yemeni citizens who had travelled to Iran for the funeral of Iran’s late Supreme Leader and for medical treatment.
The Reuters report has not been independently confirmed by official sources, and several of its key claims remain unverified.
