Iran Secretly Sent Military Personnel and Weapons to Houthis Amid Escalating Middle East Conflict

Iran has reportedly sent military personnel and weaponry to the Houthi group in Yemen this month, amidst a significant escalation of the Middle East conflict. Four sources informed Reuters that the Iranian regime secretly transported IRGC commanders, military advisors, and missile and drone-related equipment to Yemen. This action suggests Tehran's intent to bolster its Houthi allies in their renewed conflict with the United States and enhance the group's capacity to threaten shipping in the Red Sea. According to Iranian sources, the Yemeni Information Minister, and a regional security analyst, Iran covertly transferred members of its ideological military arm and military equipment on a flight from Tehran on July 13th. The flight, operated by Mahan Air, carried between 10 and 21 IRGC members, including senior commanders, and was initially bound for Houthi-controlled Sanaa. However, it was diverted to the Red Sea port city of Hodeidah after an attack on Sanaa's international airport by the Yemeni government in conjunction with Saudi Arabia. The IRGC commanders were reportedly sent to support Houthi operations and provide training on new missile systems, with Iran also allegedly sending gold on the aircraft to finance Houthi activities. The Houthis resumed attacks on commercial ships in the Red Sea this month, signaling a potential entry into the war at Iran's behest. They also imposed a maritime blockade on Saudi vessels in retaliation for the Sanaa airport attack and threatened to close the Bab El-Mandeb Strait. Three days after the flight's arrival in Yemen, Reuters reported that Tehran had urged the Houthis to prepare to close Bab El-Mandeb if the U.S. attacked Iranian energy infrastructure, posing a new threat to global energy supplies. The Houthi group, controlling areas of Yemen facing this maritime route, announced a naval blockade against Saudi Arabia in response to the July 13th bombing of Sanaa airport, which they attributed to the Saudis. These actions marked the end of a four-year truce between Riyadh and the Houthis. The threat to a major global shipping route intensified when the group claimed to have attacked two Saudi oil tankers.