Iran Flies Revolutionary Guards Commanders and Missile Components to Yemen Amid Rising Tensions

According to a Reuters report citing four sources, including two Iranian insiders, Iran recently transported senior commanders from its Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), military advisors, and advanced missile and drone components to Yemen. This transfer, which took place on July 13 via a Mahan Air flight from Tehran, aims to bolster the military capabilities of the Houthi rebels and increase threats to international shipping lanes in the Red Sea and Bab al-Mandeb Strait.

The flight was originally destined for Sanaa airport, controlled by the Houthis, but was diverted to the port city of Hodeidah after Sanaa was attacked by Yemeni government forces backed by Saudi Arabia. Iranian sources said the IRGC commanders are there to support the Houthis and provide training on new missile systems. The shipment reportedly included short- and medium-range missile parts, drone components similar to those used in previous attacks on Saudi Arabia and the UAE, and gold intended to finance the rebels' activities.

Yemeni government spokesman Moammar Al-Eryani confirmed the intelligence, stating the IRGC's mission is to prepare the militias to threaten international maritime security. The arrival of these forces coincides with escalating conflict in the region. Shortly after the flight, Tehran reportedly urged the Houthis to prepare to block oil routes in the Red Sea if the US attacks Iranian energy infrastructure. The Houthis subsequently declared a maritime blockade on Saudi Arabia, ending a four-year ceasefire, and claimed attacks on two Saudi oil tankers.

Both Iran and the Houthis strongly deny the allegations. Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghai said the July 13 flight was a civilian mission to return a Houthi delegation that attended Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei’s funeral and to bring Yemeni civilians receiving medical treatment in Iran. Houthi media figure Abd al-Rahman al-Ahnoumi, who claimed to be on the flight, called the military transfer claims "lies and fabrications," asserting all passengers were civilians and that the Houthis develop their weapons independently without acting as an Iranian proxy.