Iran denies direct IRGC involvement in Houthi capture of Bab al-Mandeb and Mocha
Iran dismissed claims that its Revolutionary Guard directed the Houthis' recent offensive that secured the Bab al-Mandeb strait and the port of Mocha.
Recent reports say IRGC officers provided strategic guidance, communications support and satellite intelligence to the Houthis during their September offensive, which captured Mocha, Dhubab and Perim Island and gave them command of the Bab al-Mandeb strait. Iran’s president, Masoud Pezeshkian, said that Tehran does not direct Houthi actions, though he urged Saudi Arabia and the Houthis to negotiate an end to the war and offered Iranian assistance in peace talks.
The Iranian foreign ministry similarly dismissed U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s claim that the Houthis are an Iranian proxy, highlighting the humanitarian toll of the Saudi blockade. A leaked UN report and analysts such as Nicholas Brumfield acknowledge embedded IRGC advisers and weapon supplies but also point to the Houthis’ own 76,000-fighter force and emerging domestic arms production. Regional diplomacy is intensifying, with Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan meeting U.S. officials and the UAE planning a visit to Riyadh amid shifting support dynamics.
Why it matters
The story shows how Iran’s alleged support for the Houthis could reshape Red Sea shipping security and regional power balances.
How the sides frame it
MODERATE AGREEMENTLeft-leaning coverage stresses Iran’s denial of direct IRGC control and urges negotiations, while right-leaning coverage emphasizes a unified Iran-backed militia command and links the events to the U.S. troop withdrawal.
LEFT
Coverage highlights Iran’s denial of direct IRGC involvement, calls for Saudi-Houthis talks, and notes the humanitarian toll of the Saudi blockade.
RIGHT
Coverage stresses a unified Iran-backed militia alliance, labels it the “Axis of Resistance,” and connects the offensive to the upcoming U.S. withdrawal from Iraq.
The left emphasises
- Iran denies direct IRGC involvement
- urges Saudi Arabia and the Houthis to negotiate an end to the war
- highlights the humanitarian toll of the Saudi blockade
The right emphasises
- Iran-backed militias claim a unified command
- describes the alliance as part of the “Axis of Resistance”
- links the offensive to the United States completing its Iraq withdrawal
How this story developed
- Aug 28 Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkey launch Mecca Defence Alliance, secretariat set in Riyadh
- Sep 21 Prime Minister Andy Burnham has authorized British aircraft to provide defensive air-to-air refuelling for Saudi jets fighting Houthi rebels in Yemen.
- Sep 21 Prime Minister Andy Burnham said he agreed to Saudi Arabia's request for defensive air-to-air refuelling while travelling to New York for a United Nations General Assembly meeting.
- Sep 22 Burnham announced the decision while traveling to the UN General Assembly.
- Sep 22 The United States declined to conduct direct kinetic strikes against the Houthis.
- Sep 22 UN agencies warned that displacement could rise to over 230,000 if the fighting continues.
- Sep 24 The Houthis seized the port city of Mocha and nearby Bab al‑Mandab positions.
- Sep 25 Foreign minister Hakan Fidan announced willingness to meet the kingdom’s technical military needs.
- Sep 25 The UK moved from earlier talks to a formal agreement to provide the Voyager tanker.
- Sep 25 Trump publicly voiced support for Saudi self‑reliance against Houthi attacks.
- Sep 26 UN Security Council issued a condemnation of Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia.
- Sep 27 Government forces launched intensified air and ground attacks in Taiz province.
- Sep 27 France announced a military mission to Saudi Arabia.
In this story
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