IRGC commanders flown into Yemen

Iran flew Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) commanders, advisers, and missile‑ and drone‑related equipment into Yemen this month, according to four sources, in a move seen as bolstering Houthi capabilities to threaten Red Sea shipping.

The sources — including two Iranian contacts, Yemen’s information minister, and a regional analyst — said the transfer occurred on July 13 aboard a Mahan Air flight from Tehran.

The plane, originally bound for Sanaa, diverted to Hodeidah after Saudi‑backed forces struck the capital’s airport. Between 10 and 21 IRGC personnel, including senior commanders, were on board, the Iranian sources said, adding that gold was also sent to fund Houthi operations.

“The IRGC commanders travelled there to support Houthi operations and provide training on new missile systems,” one source said. Iran’s foreign ministry did not immediately comment, though Tehran has long denied supplying the Houthis with missile capabilities. A Houthi media official aboard the flight dismissed the allegations as “lies and fabrications,” insisting all passengers were civilians.

The deployment underscores Iran’s support for the Houthis, who have fought Saudi‑backed forces for more than a decade and launched missile and drone attacks on Gulf states. Three days after the flight, Tehran reportedly urged the Houthis to be ready to close the Red Sea oil route if the US struck Iranian power infrastructure.

On July 20, the Houthis announced a naval blockade of Saudi Arabia, citing the bombing of Sanaa airport. Days later, they claimed attacks on two Saudi oil tankers, effectively ending a four‑year truce with Riyadh.

Yemen’s information minister Moammar al‑Iryani confirmed the transfers, saying the Guards’ mission was to strengthen Houthi military capabilities and prepare them to threaten maritime security in the Red Sea and Bab al‑Mandab Strait.

Analyst Mzahem Alsaloum also confirmed the IRGC experts’ arrival, noting the cargo included components for short‑ and medium‑range missiles and drones similar to those used in past attacks on Saudi Arabia and the UAE.

The Houthis had earlier announced direct flights between Sanaa and Tehran, portraying them as a way to break what they call a Saudi blockade. Iran’s foreign ministry later said the July 13 flight was meant to return a Houthi delegation that had attended Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s funeral in Tehran, along with Yemeni patients.