Iran Flew IRGC Commanders, Missile Gear to Yemen's Houthis, Sources Say

Four sources, including two Iranian sources, Yemen's information minister, and a regional security analyst, stated that Iran transferred IRGC personnel and military-related equipment on a flight from Tehran to Yemen on July 13. This move suggests Tehran is seeking to strengthen the ability of its Houthi allies to threaten Red Sea shipping.

The plane, carrying between 10 and 21 IRGC personnel, including senior commanders, was originally bound for the Houthi-controlled capital Sanaa but diverted to the Red Sea port city of Hodeidah after the airport came under attack by the Saudi-backed Yemeni government.

One of the sources indicated that the IRGC commanders traveled there to support Houthi operations and provide training on new missile systems, adding that Iran also sent gold on the aircraft to fund Houthi activities.

Moammar al-Iryani, information minister in Yemen's Saudi-backed government, confirmed the transfers of Guards personnel and equipment, citing intelligence. However, Abdel Rahman al-Ahnomi, a Houthi media official who claimed to be aboard the plane, described the allegations that Iran sent military experts to Yemen as “lies and fabrications,” stating that all passengers were civilians.

The Houthis have previously denied being an Iranian proxy and asserted they develop their own weapons. Three days after the flight, Reuters reported that Tehran had asked the Houthi movement to stand ready to close the Red Sea oil route if the U.S. struck Iranian power infrastructure, posing a new threat to global energy supplies.