Yemen's recognised government has accused Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and Lebanon's Hezbollah of directly managing Houthi military operations through 21 military experts deployed across Houthi-held territory.

Interior Minister Major-General Ibrahim Haidan made the accusation on Tuesday, warning it threatens regional security and Red Sea shipping.

Fourteen IRGC and seven Hezbollah experts

Haidan said the group comprises 14 IRGC members and seven from Hezbollah, and their work goes far beyond training and supplying weapons. The experts directly plan and manage operations and develop Houthi military capabilities, the minister said.

Eight experts are stationed in Hodeidah, four each in Sanaa and Saada, two each in Hajjah and Amran, and one in the coastal district of al-Khokha. Their work covers missiles and drones, electronic warfare, smuggling military components, selecting ships to target and training fighters.

A 'general staff' directing the war

Haidan said the network is led by a senior IRGC officer who publicly presents himself as Iran's ambassador, without identifying him by name. He described the experts as a fully functioning general staff for operational planning, military command and capability development, rather than merely a training mission.

Yemen's Foreign Ministry condemned the alleged intervention as a violation of sovereignty and international law and urged international action to halt the flow of weapons and expertise to the Houthis.

Claims remain unverified

The ministry did not identify the 21 experts by name or provide evidence that would allow independent verification of their numbers and locations. Earlier UN reports documented foreign military support for the Houthis, but not this number.

Iran denies directing the Houthis, who say they decide alone. The statement comes as government forces battle the Houthis in five provinces, after the group seized the western Red Sea coast and Bab al-Mandeb in September.

[Source: Al Jazeera](https://aljazeeranews-3fuh52rgrl.edgeone.app/news/2026/11/3/yemen-govt-accuses-irgc-hezbollah-of-sending-21-experts-to-back-houthis) | [Source: South24](https://south24.org/news/newse.php?nid=5845)