Iran backing Houthis as Yemen war escalates and Saudi cities attacked

Summarised from 2 outlets · Updated 20 Oct, 18:08 · Archive

Media reports allege Iran's Revolutionary Guard has trained and equipped Yemen's Houthis, who have intensified attacks on Saudi Arabia.

Media reports allege that Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has trained and equipped Yemen's Houthis with drones, missiles and targeting intelligence. The Wall Street Journal reported that Iranian Mahan Air flights ferried IRGC officers, drone parts, missile guidance systems and detonators to the Houthis. IRGC officers were reportedly present directing attacks on the ground.

The Houthis have intensified attacks on Saudi Arabia in recent weeks. Targets have included King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, where an attack killed 13 people, as well as Saudi energy facilities and oil tankers. A September Houthi offensive gave the group control of Yemen's Red Sea coastline and the strategically important Bab al-Mandeb strait. Saudi Arabia supports Yemen's internationally recognised government against the Houthis, who have been at war since 2014.

Saudi coalition spokesperson Major-General Turki al-Maliki confirmed an external state actor was behind the Houthis' advanced arsenal but did not name it. Egypt's President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi has asked parliament to authorise military assistance to Saudi Arabia if requested. Al-Sisi stressed that any deployment would be defensive in nature. The Egyptian presidency described the attacks as 'grave escalations' and 'unacceptable'.

How it is being reported

• Egypt weighs sending troops to Saudi Arabia in war with Iran-backed rebelsYemen's Iran-backed Houthi rebels have intensified their attacks on Saudi Arabia, targeting airports and oil infrastructure.CBS News · 20 Oct, 17:54
• Iran support for Houthis probed as Yemen war re-erupts and Saudi cities hitThere have been new reports of Iranian support for the Houthis in Yemen amid a wave of attacks on Saudi cities.Al Jazeera · 19 Oct, 11:49

In this story: Iran · Yemen · Houthis · Saudi Arabia · Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps · Egypt · Abdel Fattah al-Sisi · Riyadh

This summary was written by AI from the headlines and standfirsts above, and states as fact only what at least two outlets report. How we use AI · Report a problem