17/10/2026
Share:
17/10/2026
Share:
RIYADH, Oct 17: Iran has provided Yemen’s Houthi movement with intelligence, military training and tactical guidance to help it carry out increasingly sophisticated drone and missile attacks against Saudi Arabia and its Yemeni allies, The Wall Street Journal reported, citing people briefed on intelligence from Saudi Arabia and the anti-Houthi alliance in Yemen.
According to the report, Iranian assistance has strengthened the Houthis’ military capabilities, contributing to their recent territorial gains and intensifying attacks on Saudi targets.
The support reportedly includes helping the Houthis identify targets for missile and drone strikes, providing intelligence and training their fighters in the use of advanced weapons.
The developments have heightened concerns over Iran’s regional influence and the growing military capabilities of the Houthis, who have fought Yemen’s internationally recognised government and Saudi-backed forces for years.
Saudi oil facilities and airports targeted
The Houthis have expanded their attacks against strategic Saudi infrastructure, including oil facilities, airports and commercial shipping, according to the report.
The latest escalation included a deadly attack on Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport last weekend that killed at least 13 people, according to media reports. Subsequent attacks have added to the casualties and heightened security concerns across the kingdom.
Saudi Arabia has also faced attacks targeting critical energy infrastructure, including facilities belonging to state-owned oil giant Saudi Aramco.
The attacks pose a challenge to the kingdom’s efforts to protect its infrastructure and maintain its reputation as a secure destination for international investment, business and tourism.
Iranian assistance strengthens Houthi capabilities
Iran has supported the Houthis for more than a decade, providing weapons, funding, technical expertise and training, according to Reuters and other media reports.
Reuters reported this week that assistance from Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and members of Lebanon’s Hezbollah helped the Houthis develop the expertise needed to assemble and operate increasingly sophisticated missiles and drones.
The group has also developed local weapons-production capabilities, reducing its dependence on the direct supply of finished weapons from abroad.
Reuters further reported that components sourced through commercial supply chains, including from China, have featured in efforts to develop advanced Houthi missile capabilities.
Iran has denied supplying weapons to the Houthis in violation of a United Nations arms embargo.
Strategic threat extends to key maritime routes
The Houthis’ position along Yemen’s Red Sea coastline gives the group the ability to threaten shipping routes near the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, one of the world's strategically important maritime chokepoints.
The strait connects the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden and the wider Indian Ocean, making it a vital passage for international trade and energy shipments.
The combination of Iranian technical support, expanding local weapons-production capabilities and the Houthis’ battlefield experience has increased concerns about the group’s ability to sustain attacks on Saudi Arabia and threaten regional security.
The latest developments underscore the growing connection between the wider confrontation involving Iran and the security challenges facing Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states.
