Yemen says Houthi escalation linked to wider Iran-backed campaign

Yemen’s Information Minister Muammar al-Eryani has warned of growing coordination among Iran-backed armed groups in the region, claiming that recent activity by Iraqi militias and Yemen’s Houthi movement reflects a unified military strategy directed by Tehran.

Al-Eryani said an alleged attempt by Iraqi militias linked to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps to target oil facilities in Saudi Arabia, coinciding with an escalation by the Houthis in the Red Sea, demonstrated what he described as a shared command structure among Iran’s regional allies.

He argued that the timing undermined the Houthis’ claim that their operations were connected to what the group describes as a blockade on Yemen.

According to the minister, the simultaneous activity by the Houthis and Iran-aligned Iraqi groups indicates that their operations are not being conducted independently, but form part of a broader Iranian strategy extending beyond individual national conflicts.

He said the strategy sought to expand threats to global energy security and vital maritime routes, particularly the Red Sea and the Bab al-Mandab Strait.

Al-Eryani said the latest developments had come as Iran faced increasing political and military pressure, prompting Tehran, in his assessment, to use its network of armed allies across several fronts to send indirect deterrence messages.

Rather than entering a direct military confrontation, he said, Iran was seeking to exert pressure by threatening economic interests, shipping routes and oil supplies.

The minister argued that developments in Yemen and Iraq should not be treated as isolated incidents, but as interconnected elements of a single regional project in which Tehran uses allied armed groups to increase pressure on the international community whenever it faces external challenges.

He also rejected the Houthi slogan of “blockade for blockade”, saying it did not reflect purely domestic Yemeni motives. Instead, he described it as part of a wider campaign targeting international waterways and energy infrastructure, with the potential to disrupt supply chains and increase global transport and trade costs.

Al-Eryani said the region had witnessed a similar pattern in recent years, with attacks by Iran-aligned groups in Yemen, Iraq and Lebanon coinciding with periods of tension between Tehran and Washington or heightened international pressure on Iran.

He said this had strengthened perceptions of political and military coordination among the groups, despite their operations taking place in different countries.

The minister described the Houthis as an advanced arm of the IRGC rather than a movement acting solely on Yemeni considerations. He said the group operated within a cross-border network sharing common objectives and methods.

He added that the Houthis’ position overlooking one of the world’s most important maritime corridors, combined with their arsenal of missiles, drones, explosive-laden boats and naval mines, enabled them to pose a wider threat to international shipping.

Al-Eryani warned that the continuation of this approach would increase risks to maritime navigation and energy supplies, with consequences extending beyond the region to global markets, energy prices and supply chains.

He called on the international community to move beyond political condemnation and adopt practical measures to deter what he described as Iran’s regional project. These should include protecting maritime routes, disrupting the financing and arming of militant groups, and holding those responsible for attacks accountable, he said.

Al-Eryani concluded that treating the Houthis solely as a domestic Yemeni issue no longer reflected the scale of the threat. From the Yemeni government’s perspective, he said, restoring state institutions and ending the Houthi takeover had become essential to protecting regional security, international trade and global energy markets.