US Secretary of State Marco Rubio accused Iran of arranging direct flights to transport Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) personnel to support the Houthis in Yemen. Speaking to reporters at the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) meeting in Manila, Rubio said, "They decided to arrange direct flights from Tehran to Yemen; with these flights they transported IRGC elements and others into the country," and added, "The Saudis responded to this."
The US secretary did not provide evidence to support these claims and did not specify the identity of the flights or the number of personnel transported.
Houthi missile attack on Saudi Arabia
Rubio's accusations came after the Houthis declared a blockade in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait targeting ships linked to Saudi Arabia. The Houthis announced they were targeting vessels affiliated with Saudi Arabia or traveling to and from the kingdom's Red Sea ports in retaliation for Saudi restrictions on Yemen and an attack on the airport in the Houthi-controlled capital Sanaa.
The Houthis held Saudi Arabia responsible for the attack on Sanaa Airport and alleged that the attack aimed to stop a flight bringing Houthi leaders home from Iran. Rubio, however, disputed this narrative, claiming that Tehran used the direct flights to transport IRGC personnel and other elements to Yemen.
As tensions escalated, the Houthis attacked Saudi Arabia's Abha International Airport with missiles and drones. This attack was recorded as one of the most serious clashes between the two sides in years.
Global trade routes under threat
The Bab el-Mandeb Strait, which connects the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden, is a vital maritime trade corridor linking Europe and Asia via the Suez Canal. Under normal conditions, about 12 percent of global trade and roughly a quarter of the world's container traffic passes through this route.
Rubio said any development that restricts passage through the Red Sea would create problems for the same reasons as the Strait of Hormuz, and that they were monitoring the situation closely. The Saudi military, meanwhile, vowed to keep Bab el-Mandeb open and to respond firmly to Houthi threats against commercial vessels.
The importance of this corridor has grown further as the US-Iran conflict has severely reduced maritime traffic in the Strait of Hormuz. Saudi Arabia increasingly relies on Red Sea export routes to deliver its oil to international markets.
Rubio issues stern warning to Iran
Addressing Southeast Asian leaders, Rubio warned that allowing Iran to control the Strait of Hormuz, collect transit fees, and attack non-compliant vessels would set a dangerous precedent for international waterways worldwide.
Rubio stated that Iran's support for the Houthis reflects its policy of backing armed groups across the Middle East, saying, "The Houthis, Hezbollah, militias in Iraq, Hamas; Iran spends its money on them. Not on its people, but on supporting terrorist organizations and destabilizing actors in the region."
Rubio's accusations came as US military airstrikes on targets in Iran entered their 11th night. US Central Command announced that recent targets included aircraft hangars and drone storage areas.
