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Iran's Support for Yemen Rebels: IRGC, Missiles Airlifted to Houthi Forces, Reuters Reports

From Liberty Times · () Chinese

Translated from Chinese, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Unnamed sources Context piece
  • Four sources confirm Iran airlifted IRGC commanders, military advisors, and weapons including missiles and drones to Yemen in July.
  • The flight, operated by Mahan Air, was rerouted to Hodeidah due to fighting near Sanaa, with the goal of training Houthi rebels on new missile systems.
  • The operation, previously undisclosed, is Iran's latest move to bolster its allies and follows a demand for the Houthis to block Red Sea oil routes if the US attacks Iran.

Iran has intensified its support for Yemen's Houthi rebels, with four sources confirming that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) dispatched commanders, military advisors, and advanced weaponry, including missiles and drones, to Yemen via a July flight. This operation, previously unreported, highlights Tehran's strategy to enhance its allies' capabilities, particularly their threat to Red Sea shipping.

The IRGC commanders went there to support the Houthi military operations and provide training on new missile systems.

— Unnamed sourceAn unnamed source explains the purpose of the IRGC personnel deployment to Yemen, highlighting the transfer of operational support and training on advanced weaponry.

The flight, identified as a Mahan Air service on July 13, was reportedly carrying between 10 and 21 IRGC personnel, including senior officers. It was initially bound for Sanaa, the Houthi-controlled capital, but was diverted to the Red Sea port city of Hodeidah due to attacks on the airport by Saudi-backed Yemeni government forces. The IRGC commanders were sent to support Houthi operations and provide training on new missile systems, according to one source.

Beyond military personnel and hardware, Iran also reportedly used the flight to transport gold, intended to fund the Houthi movement's military activities. This revelation comes amid escalating tensions, with Reuters also reporting that Tehran has urged the Houthis to prepare to blockade Red Sea oil transport routes should the United States target Iran's energy infrastructure.

The lies and fabrications.

— Abdel Rahman al-Ahnomi, Houthi media officialA Houthi media official dismisses reports of Iranian military experts arriving in Yemen as false.

The Houthi media official, Abdel Rahman al-Ahnomi, denied these claims, labeling them as "lies and fabrications" and asserting that all passengers were civilians. The group has consistently denied being an Iranian proxy and claims its weapons are indigenously developed. However, Yemen's Information Minister, Moammar al-Iryani, and regional security analyst Mzahem Alsaloum, have corroborated the reports of IRGC personnel and military equipment arriving in Yemen.

The IRGC personnel and military equipment have been transported to Yemen.

— Moammar al-Iryani, Yemen's Information MinisterYemen's Information Minister confirms intelligence reports about the arrival of IRGC personnel and military equipment in the country.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Liberty Times in Chinese. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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