Military leaders from Iran and Hezbollah are helping the Houthis on the ground in Yemen to support the Tehran-backed terror group’s attack on shipping vessels crossing the Red Sea, according to reports citing regional and Iranian sources.
Iran has increased its arms supply to the Houthis – who were labeled terrorists by US officials on Wednesday – by sending sophisticated drones along with anti-ship cruise missiles, precision-guided ballistic missiles and medium-range missiles, sources said.
Members of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and Tehran-backed Hezbollah have also been spotted in Yemen helping the Houthis with training, helping them assemble missile parts smuggled into the country, and overseeing military operations, according to former Yemeni military sources.
“The Revolutionary Guards have been helping the Houthis with military training” on advanced weapons, Iranian insiders said.
“A group of Houthi fighters were in Iran last month and trained at an IRGC base in central Iran to familiarize themselves with new technology and the use of missiles.”
Iranian military leaders and Hezbollah have aided the Houthis on the ground in Yemen with their attacks on Red Sea shipping. AFP via Getty Images
The Houthis, a radical Shiite sect of Islam that controls the majority of Yemen, have stepped up their Red Sea offensive since October 7, after Iran-backed Hamas terrorists killed 1,200 people in Israel and sparked an invasion of Gaza.
Pledging their support for Hamas terrorists, the Houthis have targeted dozens of ships bound for Israeli ports or controlled by Middle Eastern allies, including the US, in retaliation for the ongoing bombardment of Gaza.
IRGC leaders and advisers are also channeling Houthi data and intelligence to highlight which ships transiting the Red Sea are bound for or linked to Israel, sources said.
Members of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and Hezbollah have been helping the Houthis by assembling missile units, overseeing military operations and training. US Central Command (CENTCOM)/AFP via Getty Images
“The political decisions are in Tehran, the management is Hezbollah, and the location is the Houthis in Yemen,” said a senior regional source with expertise on Iran.
The Red Sea attack has destabilized the vital route that carries about 15% of the world’s trade and is an important link between Asia and Europe.
Since the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war, shipping costs have risen over 600% due to terrorist attacks targeting ships crossing the Red Sea.
The Houthis have targeted dozens of ships controlled by Israeli allies in retaliation for the ongoing bombardment of Gaza. Getty Images
Analysts say the Red Sea offensive is Tehran’s way of flexing its network of armed Shiite fighters to showcase its influence across the region, but also to show how costly the Gaza war will be for the West and the potential ramifications for the Middle East if it goes to war. continues to increase.
Nasser Kanaani, a spokesman for Iran’s foreign ministry, has repeatedly denied Tehran played any role in the Houthi Red Sea offensive.
Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, however, praised the terrorist group’s series of Red Sea attacks, and said he prayed they would continue “until victory.”
The United States has launched at least six strikes since last week targeting Houthi-linked sites in Yemen.
President Biden, however, acknowledged on Thursday that the strike was unlikely to prevent a Houthi attack on a Red Sea ship.
With Postal wire.
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
