Yemen says Iranian, Hezbollah experts directing Houthi military operations

Interior minister says 21 Iranian and Hezbollah experts are directing Houthi military operations beyond training and arms supplies The Iranian Revolutionary Guard contributes 14 experts while Hezbollah provides 7 specialists, Ibrahim Haidan says in a statement LONDON: Yemen's interior minister said on Tuesday that 21 experts from Iran's Revolutionary Guard and Lebanon's Hezbollah were helping direct Houthi military operations, alleging that their involvement had expanded beyond training and arms supplies to operational planning and command. Interior Minister Ibrahim Haidan said in a statement that 14 Revolutionary Guard experts and seven Hezbollah specialists were working with the Houthi militia on ballistic missiles, drones, maritime attacks and electronic warfare. Haidan said the experts' responsibilities included selecting commercial ships as targets, developing explosive-laden boats and autonomous underwater vessels, and overseeing networks that smuggle military components. They also trained Houthi fighters in mine-laying, siege tactics and urban warfare, he said. 'This is not a training mission, but a fully fledged military general staff,' Haidan said. He said that the group was led by a Revolutionary Guard officer who 'appeared on camera as the ambassador of a state that claims to respect international law.' Haidan did not name the individual nor his country. Other members included an operations supervisor, a strategic adviser, the head of a joint operations room and specialists in missiles, drones, radar and communications, according to the statement. The ministry listed eight experts in Hodeidah, four in Sanaa, four in Saada, two in Hajjah, two in Amran and one in Al-Khawkhah. Beyond their military work, Haidan accused the experts of supporting political, organizational and media activities intended to entrench Iranian influence and build long-term loyalty networks in Yemen. He said their presence threatened commercial shipping and seafarers in the Red Sea and Bab Al-Mandab Strait, as well as trade routes and energy supplies. He also warned that weapons technology and expertise could spread to other armed groups sharing their ideology. Haidan urged the international community to designate the Houthis a 'terrorist organization,' disrupt their financing and arms-supply networks, and enforce the arms embargo under UN Security Council Resolutions 2216 and 2624. The minister also linked the experts' support to 'the Houthi siege of Taiz,' saying Yemenis were 'bearing the costs of foreign intervention through lost lives, insecurity and depleted resources. 'Decisions are written in Tehran, announced in Sanaa, and paid for in Taiz, Hodeidah and other conflict-stricken governorates,' he said. Addressing residents of Houthi-controlled areas, Haidan accused the Iran-backed group of drawing them into a war under the pretext of supporting Palestinians while leaving Iran in control of its direction. He said the Interior Ministry would continue supporting national efforts under Operation Dawn of Yemen to restore state institutions and reclaim Sanaa.