Yemen Accuses Iran, Hezbollah of Directing Houthi Operations
The Yemeni government claims 21 foreign military experts are now stationed across the country to manage combat planning and drone technology.
By Lina Lewis ·
The internationally recognized government of Yemen has formally accused Iran and Lebanon of moving beyond financial support to directly command Houthi military operations. Interior Minister Major-General Ibrahim Haidan announced the deployment of 21 specialists on Tuesday, marking a sharp increase in foreign tactical control on the ground.
Haidan stated that the group consists of 14 members from Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and seven individuals from Lebanon’s Hezbollah. The minister described this arrangement as a shift from simple financing and weapons transfers to active supervision. He said these experts are now planning operations and developing military capabilities in real time.
The government provided a breakdown of the experts' locations across the country. Eight are based in Hodeidah, four in the capital Sanaa, and four in Saada. The remaining personnel are distributed among Hajjah, Amran, and the coastal city of Khokha, with two in the first two locations and one in the last.
A list of specialities included in the statement covers command and control, ballistic missiles, and drone technology. The document also cites expertise in electronic warfare, smuggling military components, and coordinating naval operations. The experts are credited with selecting commercial shipping targets, developing explosive-laden boats, and training fighters in mine-laying and siege tactics.
Haidan warned that this direct involvement threatens shipping lanes in the Bab al-Mandeb strait and the Red Sea. He urged the international community to designate the Houthis as a terrorist organization and to enforce the arms embargo found in United Nations Security Council resolutions 2216 and 2624. He also called for the dismantling of Houthi financing and arms networks.
The diplomatic accusation arrives as Yemeni forces and government loyalists battle the Houthis across five provinces. Fighting intensified in September after the Houthis seized control of the western Red Sea coast and the Bab al-Mandeb area. This conflict ended a relative calm maintained by a 2022 ceasefire, which had followed a civil war that began in 2014 when the Houthis captured Sanaa.
Tehran has long insisted that the Houthis act independently, even as the Yemeni group acknowledges its alliance with Iran. Hezbollah has previously rejected a major role in the Yemeni war. Saudi Arabia, whose airports and oil facilities have faced Houthi attacks, recently accused Iran of encouraging the current escalation.
