Report: Iran flew Revolutionary Guards commanders and missile components to Yemen
According to a report by Reuters, Iranian officials and intelligence personnel claim that Tehran is deepening its involvement in Yemen to strengthen the Houthis and endanger trade routes in the Red Sea. The Houthis, for their part, strongly deny these claims, calling them "lies and fabrications."
Iran transferred senior commanders of the Revolutionary Guards (IRGC), military advisors, and advanced equipment intended for missiles and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to Yemen this month, according to a report by the Reuters news agency, citing four different sources, including two Iranian officials.
According to the Reuters report, the move indicates an attempt by Tehran to strengthen the military capabilities of its Houthi allies, with the goal of increasing the threat they pose to international shipping and trade routes in the Red Sea and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.
Route changed following an attack
Sources told Reuters that the transfer of personnel and equipment took place on July 13, via a Mahan Air flight that took off from Tehran. According to two Iranian officials who spoke to Reuters on condition of anonymity due to security concerns, there were between 10 and 21 IRGC personnel on the plane, including senior commanders.
The original destination of the flight was the airport in the capital, Sanaa, which is under Houthi control. However, the plane was forced to divert its route and land in the port city of Hodeidah after the airport in Sanaa was attacked by forces of the Yemeni government, which is supported by Saudi Arabia. One of the Iranian sources said that the purpose of the arrival of the IRGC commanders is to support the Houthis' activities and provide them with training on new missile systems. It was also claimed that alongside the military equipment, Iran also transferred gold on the plane intended to fund the rebels' activities.
Missile equipment, gold, and maritime escalation
According to an intelligence analyst quoted in the article, the cargo includes components for short- and medium-range missiles and UAV parts — weapon systems similar to those used in the past for attacks in Saudi Arabia and the UAE. Muammar al-Eryani, the Minister of Information in the Saudi-backed Yemeni government, also confirmed the details in a conversation with Reuters based on intelligence data, noting that the mission of the IRGC personnel is to prepare the militias to threaten international maritime security.
According to the Reuters report, the arrival of the forces comes against the backdrop of a sharp escalation in the region. A few days after the flight, Reuters reported that Tehran had asked the Houthis to prepare to block the oil route in the Red Sea in the event of an American attack on Iranian energy infrastructure. Later, the Houthis announced a naval blockade they are imposing on Saudi Arabia — a step that marks the end of a four-year ceasefire between the sides — and on Thursday they even claimed to have attacked two Saudi oil tankers.
Iran and the Houthis deny: civilian passengers only
On the other hand, the Iranian side and the Houthis reject the reports. The Iranian Foreign Ministry did not provide an immediate response to Reuters, but Tehran has previously repeatedly denied supplying missiles to the Houthis. In a press conference, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei claimed that the flight from Tehran on July 13 was intended to return a Houthi delegation that had arrived in Iran to participate in the funeral of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, along with Yemeni citizens who had received medical treatment in Iran.
Abd al-Rahman al-Ahnumi, a Houthi media figure who claimed he was on the plane, described the claims about the transfer of military experts as lies and fabrications in a conversation with Reuters. According to him, all the passengers on the plane were civilians only, and he emphasized that the Houthis do not act as an Iranian proxy and develop their weapons themselves.
