WSJ reports possible IRGC deliveries to Houthis in Yemen — Al Jazeera

The US newspaper The Wall Street Journal reported on possible assistance by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps to the Houthis in Yemen, including the transport of military specialists and components for drones and missiles by Mahan Air aircraft. According to Al Jazeera, the report also said that IRGC officers allegedly were on the front line and coordinated Houthi attacks.

These reports emerged amid a wave of Houthi strikes on Saudi Arabia. According to the outlet, dozens of drones and missiles have been launched at the kingdom in recent weeks. During an attack on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, 13 people were killed, Al Jazeera reported. The Houthis also attacked Saudi energy facilities and oil tankers.

Claims of external assistance

Saudi-led coalition spokesperson Major General Turki al-Maliki said that the Houthi arsenal is developing with assistance from an external state, but did not name it. According to him, the group obtained advanced technologies and became the first non-state armed formation to use ballistic missiles, strike drones, kamikaze drones, as well as high-speed boats carrying explosives.

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The Houthis, also known as Ansar Allah, have been fighting against Yemen’s internationally recognized government since 2014. They stress their own independence from Tehran, while Iran denies supporting the group. At the same time, analysts interviewed by Al Jazeera link the mentioned “regional assistance” specifically to the IRGC.

Risks to shipping

Military expert Ali al-Dahab said that the new reports indicate the possible use of small submarines to smuggle precision technologies for missiles and drones. He also drew attention to the strategic importance of the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, which connects the Gulf of Aden with the Red Sea.

According to Al Jazeera, Saudi Arabia and Iran concluded a China-mediated reconciliation agreement in Beijing in 2023. At the same time, differences between the countries over Yemen persist. The Saudi intervention in Yemen began in March 2015, but the country’s internationally recognized government has been unable to regain control of the capital, Sanaa.