Yemen government accuses Iran and Hezbollah of sending 21 experts to Houthis

Yemen’s government says 21 experts are helping the Houthis plan and direct military operations in the country.

Interior Minister Ibrahim Haidan said 14 are from Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and seven from Lebanon’s Hezbollah.

The government says the experts are spread across six areas, including Hodeidah and Sanaa, and work on missiles, drones and naval operations.

The government says this goes beyond earlier support such as funding, arms and training to direct involvement in planning and overseeing operations.

The ministry did not name the alleged experts or provide evidence for the claims; Iran says the Houthis act independently, and Hezbollah has rejected a role in Yemen’s war.

Haidan warned that the alleged activity threatens shipping through the Bab al-Mandeb strait and the Red Sea, important routes for international trade.

The accusations come as fighting has resumed, breaking a period of relative quiet under a 2022 ceasefire in a war that began in 2014.

Haidan called for international action against the Houthis and their financing and arms networks, but no next step is specified.