A senior Yemeni Foreign Ministry official told MBN that Iran has recently sent to Yemen commanders from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), military advisers, missiles and drone equipment.
Mustafa Ahmed Noman, Yemen’s deputy foreign minister, said that the reinforcements arrived in recent days as the Houthis declared what they called a “naval blockade” on Saudi Arabia, underscoring what he described as Tehran’s efforts to strengthen its allies’ abilities to threaten maritime traffic in the Red Sea.
His remarks came after Reuters reported that IRGC personnel and military equipment had been transported to Yemen. Citing its own sources, Reuters said the transfer took place aboard a July 13 flight that arrived in Houthi-controlled territory.
According to those sources, the flight, operated by Iran’s Mahan Air, carried between 10 and 21 IRGC personnel, including senior commanders.
The aircraft had been initially scheduled to land in Sanaa, but its destination was changed to the Red Sea port of Hodeidah after the airport came under attack by Saudi-backed Yemeni forces in an apparent attempt to prevent the plane from landing.
Following the arrival of the reinforcements, Noman said the Yemeni government has been coordinating with donor countries to support forces tasked with monitoring the maritime corridors along Yemen’s coastline.
Despite mounting pressure on Tehran, Iran’s deputy foreign minister said that they continue to back its Houthi allies, aiming to shape them into a “forward line of defense” against countries in the region.
Yemen’s Information Minister Moammar al-Eryani had earlier told MBN that Iran was attempting to establish a direct air bridge between Tehran and Sanaa to rebuild the Houthis’ military capabilities. It would also shift regional tensions from the Strait of Hormuz to the Bab al-Mandab Strait.
Iran’s support for the Houthis predates the Houthis’ September 2014 takeover of the Yemeni capital, Sanaa. That support expanded significantly after the outbreak of the war and the Saudi-led coalition’s military intervention in March 2015.
International and Western reports have said the assistance has included military training, the transfer of weapons such as missile and drone technology, as well as intelligence support, helping the Houthis develop capabilities to target countries in the region and to threaten shipping in the Red Sea and the Bab al-Mandab Strait.
In July 2025, U.S. Central Command said it had seized more than 750 tons of ammunition and military equipment reportedly being shipped from Iran to the Houthis. The shipment included components for advanced missiles, drone engines, radar systems, and communications equipment.
Adapted and translated from the original Arabic.
