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United States President Donald Trump on July 24 threatened Iran that it will be held responsible if the Houthis (Ansar Allah) in Yemen continue to target Saudi shipping.
“A year ago the United States of America attacked, very powerfully, the Houthis, for their interference with commerce and trade, by shooting at ships,” wrote Trump on Truth Social. “Since that time, and during our conflict with Iran, they have acted very responsibly.”
“Unfortunately, now they are starting up again, shooting at two Saudi Arabian ships last night,” he continued. “Please let this TRUTH serve to represent that if they do this again, the US will hold Iran responsible, in that the Houthis are a Surrogate and/or Proxy of Iran, and major military punishment will be inflicted upon Iran and, of course, the Houthis, themselves.”
The Houthis said on July 20 they were imposing a maritime blockade on Saudi Arabia in response to its siege on Yemen, and fired on two Saudi oil tankers overnight, setting one ablaze.
Following Trump’s threat, Reuters published a report alleging that Iran flew Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) commanders, military advisers, and missile- and drone-related equipment into Yemen this month.
Four sources familiar with the matter — including two Iranian sources, Yemen’s information minister, and a regional security analyst — told the news agency that Iran transferred the IRGC personnel and military-related equipment on a flight from Tehran to Yemen on July 13, a development that has not been previously reported.
The two Iranian sources revealed that between 10 and 21 IRGC personnel, including senior commanders, were on the Mahan Air flight.
The plane was originally bound for the Houthi-controlled capital, Sanaa, but diverted to the Red Sea port city of Hodeidah after the airport was hit by Saudi strikes.
“The IRGC commanders traveled there to support Houthi operations and provide training on new missile systems,” one of the sources said, adding that Iran also sent gold on the aircraft to fund Houthi activities.
The Houthis demanded an end to the Saudi siege on Yemen, including the resumption of flights to airports under their control, in exchange for lifting their maritime blockade.
When the Houthis first announced the maritime blockade on the kingdom, the Saudi-led coalition vowed to respond “firmly and forcefully” to any threat from the group. However, the kingdom has not yet responded to the latest Houthi attack, and Trump’s recent remarks indicate that the U.S. is not going to get involved in Yemen again.
The Houthis are apparently attempting to leverage the ongoing confrontation between the U.S. and Iran — which is consuming much of America’s military resources in the region — to try to break the Saudi siege, with the aim of funneling more support from the Islamic Republic to further bolster their military capabilities. All recent developments indicate that the plan is working.
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