Iran’s Revolutionary Guards Guided Houthi Advance on Yemen’s Red Sea Coast, Sources Say
DUBAI/ADEN/RIYADH, September 10 (Saudi Arabia Breaking News) - Iran’s Revolutionary Guards helped direct the Houthi offensive that captured Yemen’s port city of Mocha, Yemeni government, Iranian and regional sources told Reuters, describing an effort to open another front in Iran’s war with the United States.
Five military sources from Yemen’s Saudi-backed, internationally recognised government said the Guards directed the campaign along the Tihama coastal plain. Citing intercepted communications and accounts from captured Houthi fighters, they said they believed senior Guards commander Abdolreza Shahlaei was overseeing the Iranian effort.
Iranian sources could not immediately confirm Shahlaei’s involvement. They had previously described the Qods Force commander as having spent time in Yemen in recent years.
Iran publicly denies directing Houthi military operations and says the group is “not a proxy”. An Iranian official told Reuters that the decision to advance on Mocha belonged to the Houthis, although Iran had held meetings with its allies, including the group. The official said the operation benefited Iran by raising oil prices and hurting the United States and Saudi Arabia.
Other sources described more direct Iranian involvement. Two Iranian sources said Iran had urged the Houthis last week to intensify attacks on Saudi Arabia, promising additional money, weapons and senior officers. A regional diplomat briefed by Iran said senior Guards commanders had travelled to Yemen to oversee attacks on the Kingdom after weeks of military planning.
Two Yemeni officials said their government requested additional Saudi air support as the Houthis advanced toward Mocha. They sought strikes on targets including Sanaa and oil depots, but said Saudi assistance remained focused on logistics, weapons and intelligence, with limited air strikes on northern fronts in Jawf and Marib.
The officials assessed that Saudi Arabia wanted to avoid an escalation that could bring heavier drone attacks on its territory. Saudi officials did not immediately respond to Reuters’ questions about the focus of the military campaign.
The capture of Mocha strengthens the Houthis’ position near Bab el-Mandeb, a major shipping route already exposed to disruption as Iran’s blockade of the Strait of Hormuz restricts energy supplies.
Ahmed Nagi, a Yemen analyst at International Crisis Group, said the coastal offensive reflected preparations extending beyond the immediate fighting.
"If we look at their offensive on the west coast, it's not something prepared just last week or last month," he said.
"The evolution of the Houthis was basically because of the new weapons they gained, either through the Iranians directly or through the different smuggling networks that they are counting on," Nagi said, pointing to the use of drones.
Nagi said it remained uncertain whether Saudi-backed forces could dislodge the Houthis, despite the rapid changes in territory seen in earlier coastal fighting.
"Maybe we can see some advances from the government if they get the necessary support from the Saudis. But that could be a bit difficult this time," he said.
Source: Reuters
