Iran Deploys 12 Experts to Oversee Houthi Operations Near Bab al-Mandab

A confidential intelligence report reveals that Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has stationed a team of 12 experts to direct Houthi militia operations in the vicinity of the Bab al-Mandab strait and Yemen's western coast. The objective is to consolidate the militia's military gains and enhance its intelligence and naval capabilities in the strategic region.

According to exclusive information obtained by the London-based firm Sheba Intelligence, this specialized team operates from a clandestine command and control center in Mokha. The unit maintains direct communication with Iranian leadership through a joint operations channel, while coordination with Houthi leadership in Sana'a is largely limited to operational planning and field execution. The report outlines a two-tiered command structure: a strategic level managed by Iran, responsible for key decisions concerning Bab al-Mandab, and an operational Houthi level tasked with implementing these directives on the ground.

Sheba Intelligence stated that it acquired details of the coordination framework employed during operations preceding the Houthi advance towards Bab al-Mandab, including the names of Houthi officials who liaised with the Iranian team. The coordination network reportedly includes 10 Houthi officials from various security and intelligence branches, some of whom have spent years establishing recruitment, infiltration, and intelligence-gathering networks along the western coast. The firm interprets this structure as indicative of a broader intelligence campaign, including recruitment, infiltration, and information gathering, preceding the Houthi military push.

Following the military advances, the Iranian role has reportedly shifted to consolidating control over coastal areas. This includes overseeing the construction of trenches, fortified positions, and military installations stretching from Al Khawkhah through Mokha and Dhubab to Bab al-Mandab. The IRGC team is also reportedly supervising the deployment and expansion of radar systems, communication networks, and maritime surveillance equipment to bolster command and control and monitor vessel traffic in the Red Sea and Bab al-Mandab. This aligns with previous reports of a hybrid communication network, combining fiber optic and wireless methods, linked to the IRGC and activated during operations towards Mokha and Bab al-Mandab.

The intelligence suggests the military infrastructure includes sites for missiles and drones, explosive-laden boats, small military vessels, underwater unmanned systems, and naval mines. The expansion of maritime infrastructure has raised concerns about the potential arrival of new weapon and military equipment shipments to Houthi-controlled coastal areas. Relevant authorities are reportedly considering direct shipments to Mokha via larger vessels or offloading onto smaller islands and maritime locations before transfer to the coast by smaller boats, citing concerns based on the expanding maritime infrastructure and past instances of Iranian arms smuggling.

The IRGC team's activities reportedly extend to recruiting and training local fishermen and civilians for intelligence, surveillance, logistical, and naval roles. They are also targeting military personnel within anti-Houthi forces to acquire information or facilitate operations. The report connects this to directives issued in late September instructing fishermen in parts of the western coast to remain indoors for several days without clear explanation, suggesting potential links to training, arms transfers, redeployments, or the organization of coastal surveillance networks. These findings follow a series of reports by Sheba Intelligence detailing Houthi preparations for naval drills simulating the closure of Bab al-Mandab, identifying the strait as a priority escalation area, and documenting meetings concerning Iranian-backed plans for the western coast and Bab al-Mandab.

Sheba Intelligence indicated that these developments point towards efforts to establish an integrated system of command, intelligence, surveillance, communications, and naval capabilities around Bab al-Mandab. The 12-member IRGC team plays a pivotal role in this system, maintaining direct links to Iranian leadership and coordinating with Houthi command, as well as intelligence, military, and naval networks along the western coast. This strategic buildup, beginning with simulated drills and culminating in Houthi control of key coastal areas and islands, signifies a shift from supporting specific military operations to entrenching a more sustainable command, control, and maritime capability presence near Bab al-Mandab.