The Kabul Tribune (KT) — Reuters has reported that Iran sent commanders and military advisers from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), along with missile- and drone-related equipment, to Yemen this month in an apparent effort to strengthen the capabilities of its Houthi allies and their ability to threaten shipping in the Red Sea.
According to Reuters, four sources familiar with the matter — including two Iranian sources, Yemen’s information minister and a regional security analyst — said Iran transferred IRGC personnel and military-related equipment on a flight from Tehran to Yemen on July 13, 2026.
The two Iranian sources told Reuters that between 10 and 21 IRGC personnel, including senior commanders, were aboard a Mahan Air flight. The aircraft was initially scheduled to land in Houthi-controlled Sanaa but was diverted to the Red Sea port city of Hodeidah after Sanaa airport was attacked by forces loyal to Yemen’s Saudi-backed government.
One Iranian source told Reuters that the IRGC commanders traveled to Yemen to support Houthi operations and provide training on new missile systems. The sources also claimed that Iran sent gold on the aircraft to help fund Houthi activities.
Reuters reported that the two Iranian sources spoke on condition of anonymity due to security concerns.
The alleged deployment comes amid renewed tensions involving the Houthis, who have been fighting Yemen’s internationally recognized government for more than a decade and have carried out missile and drone attacks against neighboring countries.
Iran’s Foreign Ministry was not immediately available for comment. Tehran has repeatedly denied providing the Houthis with missile capabilities or military support.
Houthi media official Abdel Rahman al-Ahnomi, who said he was aboard the flight, rejected the allegations as “lies and fabrications,” saying all passengers on the aircraft were civilians. The Houthis have previously denied being an Iranian proxy group and said they develop their own weapons.
Houthi Threats to Red Sea Shipping
Reuters reported that three days after the flight arrived in Yemen, Tehran asked the Houthis to prepare to close a major Red Sea oil route if the United States targeted Iranian infrastructure, according to sources.
The Houthis later announced a naval blockade against Saudi Arabia in response to a July 13 attack on Sanaa airport, which they blamed on Riyadh. The move marked an escalation following the end of a four-year truce between Saudi Arabia and the Houthis.
The group further raised tensions by claiming it had attacked two Saudi oil tankers.
Yemen’s Information Minister Moammar al-Iryani told Reuters that intelligence reports confirmed the transfer of IRGC personnel and equipment, saying their mission was to strengthen Houthi military capabilities and prepare them to threaten maritime security in the Red Sea and the Bab al-Mandab Strait.
Security analyst Mzahem Alsaloum, who has tracked Iran-backed armed groups for years, also confirmed the arrival of IRGC experts on the July 13 flight.
Missile and Drone Components Allegedly Sent
Alsaloum told Reuters that some of the cargo included components linked to short- and medium-range missiles and drones, weapons systems similar to those previously used in attacks against Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
Reuters reported that the Houthis had announced direct flights between Sanaa and Tehran earlier in July, saying the service would help ease what they described as a Saudi-imposed blockade on Yemen.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said on July 20, 2026, that the July 13 flight was intended to return a Houthi delegation from Tehran after attending the funeral of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, as well as Yemeni citizens who had received medical treatment in Iran.
The Houthis said the flight originally carried around 200 people, including senior officials, women and children, to Iran on July 3. Reuters’ sources said the aircraft returned on July 13 carrying members of the delegation along with IRGC commanders and advisers before being diverted to Hodeidah following the attack on Sanaa airport.
The Houthi military said the Saudi aircraft involved in the airport strike were forced to leave Yemeni airspace.
