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Iran flew Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) commanders, military advisers and missile- and drone-related equipment into Yemen this month, four sources told Reuters. The previously unreported deployment suggests that Tehran moved to strengthen the Houthis' ability to threaten Red Sea shipping days before the group attacked two Saudi tankers.
The report lands as U.S. President Donald Trump says he is weighing a "massive" new attack on Iran "bigger than ever before," and as Germany, the United Kingdom, the European Union, Canada and China respond to the Houthi strikes that have opened a second maritime front in the widening war.
Iran transferred IRGC personnel and military equipment on a Mahan Air flight from Tehran to Yemen on July 13, Reuters reported. The outlet cited four sources, including two Iranian contacts, Yemen’s information minister, and a regional security analyst.
"Between 10 and 21 IRGC personnel, including senior commanders, were aboard," the two Iranian sources said.
The plane was originally bound for the Houthi-controlled capital Sanaa but diverted to the Red Sea port city of Hodeidah after the airport came under attack by the Saudi-backed Yemeni government.
"The IRGC commanders travelled there to support Houthi operations and provide training on new missile systems," one source said, adding that Iran also sent gold on the aircraft to fund Houthi activities.
Moammar al-Iryani, information minister in Yemen's internationally recognized government, confirmed the transfers to Reuters, citing intelligence: "Their mission is to strengthen the militias' military capabilities and prepare them to threaten international maritime security in the Red Sea and the Bab al-Mandeb Strait."
Speaking to Reuters, security analyst Mzahem Alsaloum also confirmed the arrival, saying cargo included components for short- and medium-range missiles and drones similar to systems previously used in attacks on Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
Tehran has repeatedly denied providing the Houthis with missile capabilities.
Abdel Rahman al-Ahnomi, a Houthi media official who said he was aboard the plane, called the allegations "lies and fabrications," saying all passengers were civilians.
The Houthis deny being an Iranian proxy and say they develop their own weapons.
The Houthis had announced direct Sanaa-Tehran flights earlier this month, saying the service would break what they call a Saudi-imposed blockade. Last Sunday, Yemen's government said it prevented an Iranian aircraft from completing its flight to Sanaa.
The Houthis blamed Saudi Arabia and launched missile strikes on Saudi territory, breaking years of calm.
Trump told Axios he is weighing a new military operation against Iran that could surpass Operation Epic Fury earlier this year, though no final decision has been made and two U.S. officials said no new military orders have been issued.
"I am considering a massive attack. Bigger than ever before. I am close to making a decision. We are all set for it," Trump said, adding that Israel could join almost immediately if asked but that the U.S. would not need another country's help.
On stalled Qatari-mediated diplomacy, he said of Iran: "They haven't received enough pain yet."
A regional source told Axios: "We are trying, but the Iranians are not being helpful."
Trump had earlier warned on Truth Social that "major military punishment will be inflicted upon Iran and, of course, the Houthis, themselves" if the group attacks ships again, calling the Houthis "a surrogate and/or proxy of Iran."
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz condemned the Houthi attacks on Saudi ships "in the strongest terms."
"These attacks must cease immediately. Any form of naval blockade is unacceptable," he said.
"These reckless attacks jeopardize freedom of navigation and threaten to further undermine regional stability. We stand in solidarity with Saudi Arabia and our partners in the region," Merz added.
The U.K. Foreign Office said: "We stand in solidarity with Saudi Arabia and urge the Houthis to stop," warning the strikes threaten lives, the environment and regional security.
Canadian Foreign Minister Anita Anand condemned the attack and blockade threats as "unacceptable actions" that "threaten maritime security and increase the risk of further regional escalation," urging the Houthis to cease attacks in line with the U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea.
EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas called the attack "unacceptable and illegal" and said the bloc's ASPIDES naval operation remains committed to protecting freedom of navigation.
China struck a different tone, urging "restraint" from all sides. "It is important to respect the sovereignty and security of all regional countries and ensure that the international shipping lane is open and safe," Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian said in Beijing.
He called on "relevant parties" to "keep the dialogue and consultation going ... avoid escalating confrontation and work for restoring peace and stability to the Gulf region at an early date."
The Houthis said they targeted the Saudi tankers Encelia and Layla with ballistic and cruise missiles and drones for violating their declared maritime blockade of Saudi Arabia, attacks that have stoked fears the shipping disruption choking the Strait of Hormuz will spread to Bab al-Mandeb, a key transit route for global crude and fuel.
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