Yemen cites 21 foreign experts in Houthi command

21 foreign experts are currently embedded within the Houthi military structure, according to a statement from Yemen’s interior ministry on Tuesday. The internationally recognised government alleges that these individuals are not merely advisors but are actively directing combat operations. This marks a shift from previous foreign support, which was limited to funding, weapons, and training.

Major-General Ibrahim Haidan, the Yemeni interior minister, detailed the breakdown of the group. He stated that 14 members belong to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, while seven are from Lebanon’s Hezbollah. Haidan described the current foreign involvement as "direct supervision and participation in planning and managing operations and building military capabilities."

The ministry provided a specific geographic distribution for these personnel. Eight are located in Hodeidah, four in Sanaa, and four in Saada. Two are in Hajjah and two in Amran. One expert is positioned in the coastal city of Khokha. The statement listed their specific technical roles, including command and control, ballistic missile and drone management, and electronic warfare. They are also tasked with smuggling military components, coordinating naval attacks, and developing autonomous submarines and explosive-laden boats.

This announcement arrives as active combat intensifies. Yemeni armed forces and government-aligned fighters are currently battling the Houthis in five provinces. The fighting began after the Houthi group seized the western Red Sea coast and the Bab al-Mandeb area in September. This conflict has disrupted a period of relative calm that followed a 2022 ceasefire. That truce had paused a civil war that first erupted in 2014 when the Houthis captured the capital, Sanaa. Saudi Arabia joined the conflict in 2015, leading a coalition to support the internationally recognised government.

Haidan warned that the presence of these experts threatens shipping routes in the Bab al-Mandeb strait and the Red Sea. He noted that the arrangement could also transfer military expertise to other armed groups. The minister called on the international community to designate the Houthis as a terrorist organisation. He urged nations to dismantle their financing and arms networks and to enforce the arms embargo set by United Nations Security Council resolutions 2216 and 2624.

The diplomatic stance remains divided on the level of foreign influence. The Yemeni government has long claimed the IRGC supports the Houthis. Tehran maintains that the Houthis act independently. The Houthis acknowledge an alliance with Iran but deny being a proxy, while Hezbollah has previously rejected a direct role in the Yemeni war. Saudi Arabia, whose airports and oil facilities have faced Houthi attacks in recent weeks, has accused Iran of encouraging the current escalation.