Iran flew IRGC commanders to Yemen aboard a flight earlier this month, according to a Reuters report citing four sources familiar with the matter. The report said the aircraft also carried military advisers and missile- and drone-related equipment, a move the sources described as aimed at strengthening the capabilities of Iran-aligned Houthi forces.
According to Reuters, two Iranian sources said between 10 and 21 members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), including senior commanders, were on the July 13 Mahan Air flight. The aircraft was initially bound for the Houthi-controlled capital, Sanaa, but reportedly diverted to the Red Sea port city of Hodeidah after Sanaa airport came under attack.
The report said the IRGC personnel were sent to support Houthi operations and provide training on new missile systems. One source also alleged that gold was transported on the aircraft to help finance Houthi activities. Reuters said the Iranian sources requested anonymity due to security concerns.
Iran flew IRGC commanders to Yemen, Reuters reported, while noting that Tehran has repeatedly denied supplying the Houthis with missile capabilities. A spokesperson for Iran’s Foreign Ministry was not immediately available for comment following the latest allegations.
A Houthi media official rejected the claims, calling them “lies and fabrications.” He said everyone aboard the aircraft was a civilian and denied that Iran had sent military experts to Yemen. The Houthis have also consistently denied being an Iranian proxy, saying they develop their own weapons.
Reuters reported that days after the flight arrived, the Houthis announced a naval blockade targeting Saudi Arabia following an attack on Sanaa airport. The group later claimed responsibility for attacks on two Saudi oil tankers, further raising concerns about security in the Red Sea and the Bab al-Mandab Strait.
Iran flew IRGC commanders to Yemen, according to the Reuters report, citing multiple unnamed sources, including officials and regional analysts. The report added that Iranian officials have maintained that the July 13 flight was intended to return a Houthi delegation and Yemeni civilians who had traveled to Iran for funeral ceremonies and medical treatment.
