According to multiple regional sources, Iran flew Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) commanders military advisers and missile equipment into Yemen earlier this month. This move escalates concerns that Tehran is actively empowering its Houthi allies to disrupt international shipping in the Red Sea.
On July 13, a Mahan Air flight from Tehran—initially bound for Sanaa—was diverted to the Hodeidah port after the Saudi-backed Yemeni government attacked the Sanaa airport. Intelligence sources indicate the flight carried between 10 and 21 IRGC personnel alongside drone and missile components and gold to fund operations.
This deployment closely aligns with the Houthis' recent announcement of a naval blockade against Saudi Arabia effectively ending a four-year truce. The rebel group has already claimed attacks on two Saudi oil tankers. Furthermore reports suggest Tehran recently urged the Houthis to prepare to block the vital Red Sea oil route if the United States attacks Iranian power infrastructure.
Both Iran and the Houthis firmly deny these military allegations. A Houthi official claimed the flight's passengers were exclusively civilians while Iran’s foreign ministry stated the aircraft was merely repatriating Yemeni citizens and a Houthi delegation returning from a funeral in Tehran.
Despite these denials Yemeni officials and regional security analysts assert the IRGC’s mission is to train Houthi militias on new weapon systems, significantly increasing the threat to the Bab al-Mandab Strait and global maritime trade.
