04/11/2026
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04/11/2026
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SANAA, Nov 4: Yemen's Interior Minister Ibrahim Ali Haidan has accused Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and Lebanon's Hezbollah of deploying 21 military experts in Yemen to direct Houthi operations, oversee weapons development and threaten international maritime shipping.
In a statement on Tuesday, Haidan said the group comprises 14 IRGC members and seven Hezbollah experts operating across six locations in Yemen, including Hodeidah, Sanaa and Saada.
"This is not a training mission, but a complete general staff," Haidan said, alleging that the experts were directly involved in directing Houthi military activities rather than merely providing training and technical assistance.
According to the minister, the group is overseeing ballistic missile and drone programmes, electronic warfare capabilities, weapons-smuggling networks and maritime operations.
He also accused the experts of selecting commercial vessels as targets and developing explosive boats for use in maritime attacks.
Yemen alleges direct Iranian role in Houthi operations
Haidan alleged that Iran's involvement in Yemen had expanded beyond financing, supplying weapons and training the Houthis to directly supervising military planning and operations.
"The only decision-making power the Houthis possess is the microphone. The decision is written in Tehran and announced in Sanaa, and the price is paid in Taiz, Hodeidah and the other embattled provinces," he said.
Warning over Red Sea and Bab al-Mandab shipping
The Yemeni minister warned that the alleged activities pose a threat to international shipping through the Bab al-Mandab Strait and the Red Sea, potentially affecting regional trade and global energy supplies.
He called on the international community to take action against Houthi financing and weapons-smuggling networks and ensure enforcement of United Nations Security Council restrictions on arms supplies.
The allegations highlight continuing concerns over the involvement of regional actors in Yemen's conflict and the potential consequences for maritime security and commercial shipping routes.
The claims regarding the presence and operational role of IRGC and Hezbollah personnel were made by Yemen's Interior Minister.
Further details in the Yemeni Interior Ministry's statement identified the distribution of the alleged experts as follows:
- 8 in Hodeidah.
- 4 in Sanaa.
- 4 in Saada.
- 2 in Hajjah.
- 2 in Amran.
- 1 in Al-Khawkhah.
The ministry said their responsibilities also included command and control, surveillance and communications systems, military supply networks, smuggling of weapons components, development of cruise missiles and unmanned aerial vehicles, and training on mine-laying and urban warfare tactics.
Haidan further called for the international community to enforce UN Security Council Resolutions 2216 and 2624, which impose arms-related restrictions concerning the Houthis, and dismantle networks involved in financing and supplying weapons to the group
