Iran passed intelligence to Yemen’s Houthis and helped guide missiles and drones towards oil tankers, energy facilities and airports in Saudi Arabia.
This is reported by The Wall Street Journal.
According to the outlet’s sources familiar with Saudi intelligence materials and the Yemeni alliance opposing the Houthis, Tehran’s support enabled the group to carry out some of the most powerful and complex attacks of the entire conflict.
Iran’s assistance was not limited to supplying weapons. Tehran also provided intelligence, helped with missile and drone targeting, and assisted militants in improving their tactics.
Iran’s backing contributed to a Houthi offensive during which they rapidly seized territory in Yemen. The group now controls part of the coastline along the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a strategically important sea route for exporting Saudi oil.
The Houthis have also attacked oil tankers, energy infrastructure and airports in Saudi Arabia. Among these was an attack in Riyadh last weekend which, according to the outlet, killed at least 13 people.
Military co-operation with the Houthis allows Tehran to pressure regional rivals through allied armed groups. It also complicates the efforts of US President Donald Trump and America’s partners in the Gulf states, who are trying to end the war with Iran on terms favourable to themselves.
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“The operational-level link is very, very strong,” said Danny Citrinowicz, former head of the Iran desk at Israeli military intelligence.
He said Iran has an interest in Houthi successes because their attacks harm Saudi Arabia and could drive up oil prices. The expert believes the relationship goes beyond the usual interaction between a patron and a dependent group and amounts to strategic co-operation.