Yemen's government has accused Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and Lebanon's Hezbollah of dispatching 21 experts to support the Houthi movement, the country's interior minister said. The minister asserted that foreign involvement in the conflict has expanded beyond the provision of arms and training to encompass direct direction of military operations.
The claim names two groups long associated with regional power dynamics — the IRGC, an elite branch of Iran's armed forces, and Hezbollah, a Lebanese armed and political organisation often described as aligned with Tehran. The Yemeni government's statement framed the alleged deployment as part of a broader escalation in external influence on the conflict.
The announcement adds to ongoing accusations by Yemeni authorities and some regional actors about outside interference in Yemen's war. While details of the alleged deployment — including timing, locations and the specific roles of the experts — were not outlined in the summary of the accusation, the interior minister emphasised a qualitative shift in foreign involvement to operational command.
Analysts and diplomats have previously warned that external support can deepen and prolong local conflicts. If substantiated, Yemen's allegations could carry implications for regional diplomacy and discussions about accountability and foreign interventions in the Yemeni theatre. The report from the Yemeni interior minister aligns with a pattern of claims and counterclaims that have surrounded the years-long conflict.