Yemen accuses Iran, Hezbollah of sending 21 military 'experts' to support Houthis

Yemen's government accused Iran's IRGC and Hezbollah of deploying 21 military expert operatives to support the Houthis, alleging direct involvement in planning operations and coordinating maritime attacks. Hezbollah denied the claims.

Yemen's government accused Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and Hezbollah on Tuesday of deploying 21 military expert operatives to aid the Houthis in Yemen. Interior Minister Brig-Gen Ibrahim Haidan said in a statement that the group included 14 IRGC members and seven Hezbollah operatives working across six Yemeni governorates: Hodeidah, Sanaa, Saada, Hajjah, Amran, and al-Khawkhah. The operatives were allegedly involved in planning military operations, developing weapons, coordinating maritime attacks, and smuggling weapons components. Haidan said Iran's involvement had moved beyond financing and training to direct participation in operational planning and command. He called on the international community to classify the Houthis as a terrorist organization. Hezbollah denied the claims, calling them "entirely baseless." The accusations come amid Yemen's prolonged civil war, which began in 2014.