Hundreds of officers from Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps are reportedly operating inside Yemen as the country’s long-running war surges into what the United Nations is warning is a far more dangerous phase.
The Iranian personnel are working alongside Houthi forces as the rebels tighten their grip on Yemen’s Red Sea coast and move closer to one of the world’s most important shipping chokepoints, according to U.S. officials and regional sources.
U.N. Special Envoy for Yemen Hans Grundberg warned the Security Council on Thursday that the conflict has entered “a new and more dangerous phase.”
His warning came as Houthi forces seized the strategic port city of Mocha, located roughly 45 miles north of the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.
The port’s capture gives the Iran-backed group an even stronger position along the Red Sea and raises fresh concerns over the security of commercial shipping moving through the region.
Yemeni government, Iranian and regional sources told Reuters that the Houthis’ rapid advance down the coast this week was carried out with direct guidance from Iran’s Revolutionary Guards.
The operation reportedly forms part of Tehran’s broader effort to open another front as its confrontation with the United States continues across the Middle East.
U.S. officials believe hundreds of IRGC officers are now inside Yemen working with Houthi forces, according to CNN.
I’VE NEVER SEEN A SURRENDER LIKE THIS AFTER ONE DAY OF FIGHTING.
THIS HOUTHIS’ ATTACK WAS WELL-TIMED AND COORDINATED WITH IRAN. IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE MAJOR ASSAULT ON JORDAN, THE US WAS NOT IN POSITION OR EQUIPPED TO HELP THE SAUDIS AND PREVENT THE HOUTHIS FROM WINNING THE WAR… pic.twitter.com/7rXLx75yjZ
— Tomthunkit™ (@TomthunkitsMind) September 11, 2026
Those officers are reportedly helping the Houthis strengthen their ability to threaten or potentially close the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.
The narrow waterway sits between Yemen and the Horn of Africa and serves as a critical gateway between the Red Sea, the Gulf of Aden and the Suez Canal.
Any major disruption there could send fresh shock waves through global energy and shipping markets, particularly as instability in the Strait of Hormuz has already placed pressure on oil routes elsewhere in the region.
Iran has for years supplied the Houthis with weapons, funding and technical assistance, although Tehran has denied directly controlling the group’s military operations.
The latest reports suggest that support has grown far more direct as the fighting intensifies.
Reuters reported that the Houthi coastal offensive received guidance from senior Revolutionary Guard personnel and relied heavily on drones and other advanced weapons.
The Houthi advance has also placed growing pressure on Saudi Arabia and forces aligned with Yemen’s internationally recognized government.
More than 100 U.S. military advisers are reportedly operating in Saudi Arabia to assist the kingdom as Iran increases support for Houthi attacks, according to CNN.
The advisers are said to be helping Saudi forces respond to the escalating threat as fighting spreads across Yemen and toward critical maritime routes.
The Houthis have also moved toward the strategically important Hanish Islands in the Red Sea, further expanding their reach near Bab el-Mandeb.
The renewed offensive threatens to plunge Yemen back into full-scale warfare after years of uneasy ceasefires and intermittent fighting.
The United Nations has warned that the latest escalation is already taking a heavy toll on civilians, with thousands of families displaced from areas affected by the fighting.
For Washington and its regional allies, the growing Iranian presence adds another layer to an already volatile battlefield.
With Iranian officers reportedly operating directly alongside Houthi forces and the rebels pushing toward one of the world’s most important maritime arteries, Yemen is once again emerging as a major flashpoint in the wider Middle East conflict.
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