The Reuters news agency, citing four sources, reported on Thursday that Iran’s terrorist Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) flew in a host of military resources to Yemen shortly before the Houthis announced their return to maritime piracy.
The Houthi jihadist terror organization – whose slogan is “Allahu Akbar, Death to America, Death to Israel, Curse Upon the Jews, Victory to Islam” – announced this week that they would impose a “maritime ban” on ships associated with Saudi Arabia in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, allegedly in retaliation for a Saudi airstrike on the airport in Sana’a, the national capital the Houthis have occupied since 2014. Reports at the time indicated that the Saudi military had targeted the airport as a Houthi delegation returned from the nationwide funeral services in Iran for late dictator Ali Khamenei, allegedly as a way to prevent the Iranian regime from helping restock the Houthis’ missile and other weapons supplies.
The Reuters report appears to verify that the Saudi government was correct to believe the returning flight from Iran was carrying military support. Reuters’ sources told the outlet that the flight from Tehran to Sana’a on July 13 was carrying “between 10 and 21 IRGC personnel, including senior commanders” and military equipment, potentially to boost the Houthis’ missile capabilities. Notably, two of Reuters’ four sources – Information Minister Moammar al-Iryani of the legitimate Yemeni government and security analyst Mzahem Alsaloum, went on the record with their information. The two anonymous sources were identified as Iranian.
“The IRGC commanders travelled there to support Houthi operations and provide training on new missile systems,” one of the anonymous Iranian sources confirmed.
The on-the-record sources said the flight was carrying “components related to short- and medium-range missiles and drones” in addition to IRGC commanders, intended to boost the Houthis’ ability to participate in the ongoing Middle East conflict.
“Their mission is to strengthen the militias’ military capabilities and prepare them to threaten international maritime security in the Red Sea and the Bab al-Mandab Strait,” al-Iryani, the information minister, reportedly said.
The Houthis, who have long enjoyed Iranian support, launched an invasion of Sana’a and the subsequent civil war in 2014, forcing the legitimate government of Yemen to relocate to the southern city of Aden. Saudi Arabia became involved in the war on behalf of the legitimate government and was the target of Houthi bombings for years until a truce largely ended direct hostilities in 2022. The Saudi action against the incoming flight from Iran on July 13 preceded the Houthis announcing what appeared to be an end to that truce – a campaign to prevent Saudi-linked ships from navigating in and out of the Red Sea.
The Iranian terror regime had already fielded allegations that the flight was a security risk. Shortly after the Saudi strike, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei insisted that it was merely carrying Houthi representatives who traveled to Iran to say goodbye to Khamenei, denying any illicit terrorist activities. Reuters noted that Houthi leaders have also accused the Saudis of spreading “lies and fabrications” about the flight. Shortly after the incident, Houthi leaders announced a return to maritime piracy, but only, purportedly, against Saudi Arabia.
“The Yemeni armed forces affirm their complete readiness for all options, and any foolish act committed by the reckless Saudi enemy through all escalation will be met with a comprehensive and decisive escalation, by Allah’s will and power,” Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree declared on Monday.
On Thursday, the Houthis claimed to have attacked two Saudi oil tankers in the Red Sea, the Encelia and the Layla, prompting global oil prices to skyrocket and inspiring international concern. Many of the Saudi ships navigating that route travel to China, a top Middle Eastern oil client, which issued its own concerned statements urging parties in the region to stop attacking each other.
The Houthis have already proven to have the ability to greatly disrupt global commerce due to Yemen’s position at the southern opening of the Red Sea. Shortly after the genocidal Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, Houthi terrorists announced a campaign to blockade all ships associated with America, Britain, and Israel navigating near the Bab el-Mandeb strait. The campaign resulted in attacks on over 100 ships throughout 2024 and formally ended in May 2025 as the Houthis announced that they had come to an agreement with the administration of President Donald Trump to “pause” their targeting of random commercial ships.
The Houthis have repeatedly threatened to return to maritime piracy this year. In January, they published a video with the caption “soon” showing apparent animations of ships on fire. The video preceded “Operation Epic Fury,” the Pentagon campaign to diminish Iran’s ability to threaten its neighbors.
This week’s declaration against Saudi Arabia was the first official Houthi call to attack ships in the region since the end of the post-October 7 campaign. The pro-Iran propaganda outlet Al Mayadeen celebrated that, less than a week in, the Houthis had successfully forced “Saudi Arabia to reroute oil shipments through longer and costlier corridors” and traffic through the Strait of Hormuz had also been disrupted by the IRGC.