Yemeni Foreign Ministry: 21 IRGC and Hezbollah experts involved in planning Houthi operations

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates condemned the Iranian and Lebanese military intervention in Yemen, accusing the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and Lebanese Hezbollah of providing military support to the Houthi group and directly participating in planning and managing its operations, threatening the country's sovereignty, regional security, and international shipping lanes.

In a statement issued today, the Ministry said that the Yemeni Ministry of Interior's announcement of the presence of 21 foreign experts working with Houthi militias, including 14 from the IRGC and 7 from Lebanese Hezbollah, reveals the extent of foreign military intervention in Yemen, transitioning from funding, arming, and training to direct supervision of military operations and building the group's combat capabilities.

It affirmed that this illegal foreign military presence constitutes a violation of the sovereignty of the Republic of Yemen and the principles of international law, holding the Iranian regime responsible for managing this intervention through IRGC and Hezbollah elements and for using Yemeni territory to serve its regional projects at the expense of the security and stability of Yemenis.

It added that the involvement of these elements in supporting Houthi military operations has contributed to civilian casualties, the forced displacement of populations from their areas, and has exacerbated the humanitarian crisis, especially in Taiz governorate, where the siege and attacks on civilians continue, threatening basic life necessities.

The Ministry warned that the repercussions of Iranian intervention are not limited to Yemen but extend to regional and international security and the freedom of navigation and global trade in the southern Red Sea and the Bab al-Mandab Strait. It noted that the continued supply of ballistic missiles, drones, and booby-trapped speedboats to the Houthis, along with the military expertise needed for their development and use, increases the risk of targeting ships and threatening vital maritime routes.

It called on the international community, led by the UN Security Council, to condemn these interventions, take practical measures to stop the flow of weapons and military expertise to the Houthis, enforce relevant international resolutions, and hold accountable the states, entities, and individuals involved in supporting these activities to ensure the protection of Yemen's sovereignty, its people's security, and the preservation of regional and international security.

The Yemeni Ministry of Interior had previously announced the presence of 21 foreign experts participating in the planning and management of Houthi military operations, including 14 from the Iranian Revolutionary Guard and 7 from Lebanese Hezbollah.

According to the Ministry, these experts are distributed across six regions: 8 in Hodeidah governorate, 4 in Sana'a, 4 in Saada, 2 in Hajjah, 2 in Amran, and one expert in the Khokha area.