WSJ: Iran's IRGC Oversees Drone, Missile Deployment in Yemen

The Wall Street Journal has reported that Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has overseen the deployment of missiles, naval weapons, and drone launch platforms in Houthi-controlled areas overlooking the Red Sea, as part of Iranian preparations to expand regional escalation.

According to the newspaper, officials stated that Yemeni elements provided intelligence and lists of potential targets for attacks, including ports and energy facilities in Saudi Arabia. They also offered advice on measures to defend against potential Saudi responses.

The report, based on intelligence sources and intercepted communications, indicated that the IRGC dispatched commanders to Houthi-controlled regions in Yemen to participate in planning for escalating confrontation with Saudi Arabia, in coordination with Iran-backed Iraqi militias.

Informed officials revealed that the IRGC exploited the period of calm established by a memorandum of understanding to reorganize and coordinate the movements of Iran's allied armed groups in the region, in preparation for intensifying attacks when necessary.

Sources also noted the dispatch of Iranian advisors to Iraq, Yemen, and Lebanon to discuss escalation plans and enhance coordination among Tehran-backed armed groups.

This information coincides with the Houthi militia's escalation of attacks in the Red Sea and the Bab el-Mandeb strait, including missile and drone launches targeting commercial vessels and coastal facilities. There are indications of increased coordination between Iran and its allied armed groups in the region.

Previous reports had suggested the arrival of IRGC commanders and advisors, along with missile and drone-related equipment, in Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen amid ongoing regional tensions and widening confrontations.