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Secretary of State Marco Rubio accused Iran on Wednesday of flying members of its Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps into Yemen, saying Tehran’s actions helped ignite a renewed confrontation between Saudi Arabia and the Iran-backed Houthi rebels.
“They decided to send direct flights from Tehran into Yemen, carrying IRGC elements and others into the country,” Rubio told reporters. “And the Saudis responded to it.”
Rubio did not identify the flights, specify how many IRGC personnel were allegedly transported or provide evidence supporting the allegation.
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He made the remarks while attending an annual gathering of Association of Southeast Asian Nations foreign ministers in Manila, Philippines, where the U.S.-Iran conflict and threats to international shipping were among the central security concerns.
The Houthis have declared a blockade targeting Saudi-linked vessels in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, threatening to widen the conflict and disrupt another critical global trade route.
The rebels say they are targeting ships connected to Saudi Arabia or traveling to and from the kingdom’s Red Sea ports in retaliation for Saudi restrictions on Yemen and a recent attack on the airport in the Houthi-controlled capital of Sanaa.
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The Houthis blamed Saudi Arabia for the airport attack, which they said was intended to stop a flight carrying Houthi leaders home from Iran. Rubio disputed that account and alleged that Tehran was using direct flights to transport IRGC personnel and others into Yemen.
The Houthis later launched missiles and drones at Saudi Arabia’s Abha International Airport, marking one of the most serious confrontations between the two sides in years.
Rubio said U.S. officials had spoken repeatedly with Saudi officials during the past week about the Houthi threat.
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“Anything that restricts shipping through the Red Sea would be problematic for the same reasons that the Strait of Hormuz is problematic,” Rubio said. “So we’re watching that closely.”
Saudi Arabia’s military has vowed to keep Bab el-Mandeb open and respond firmly to Houthi threats against commercial vessels using the waterway.
The narrow strait connects the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden and serves as a major shipping corridor linking Europe and Asia through the Suez Canal. Around 12% of global trade and roughly one-quarter of worldwide container traffic normally pass through the route.
Its importance has grown as the U.S.-Iran conflict has sharply curtailed shipping through the Strait of Hormuz. Saudi Arabia has increasingly relied on Red Sea export routes to transport oil to international markets.
The Houthi-run SABA news agency claimed six vessels had altered course after receiving warnings from the group, a claim that could not be independently verified.
The Houthis say the blockade is limited to Saudi-linked shipping. During their earlier campaign connected to the war in Gaza, however, the rebels attacked more than 100 vessels, including ships with little or no apparent connection to Israel.
President Donald Trump said Tuesday that the latest Houthi threat had not materialized.
“So far, it hasn’t happened,” Trump told reporters. “I think that if there is something like that, we’ll just have to take care of business.”
Rubio’s accusation came as the U.S. military carried out an 11th consecutive night of strikes against targets in Iran. U.S. Central Command said the latest targets included aircraft hangars and drone storage sites.
Speaking to Southeast Asian leaders, Rubio also warned that allowing Iran to control the Strait of Hormuz, collect tolls and attack ships that refused to comply would set a dangerous precedent for international waterways around the world.
“If we create a precedent in the Middle East where a nation state can decide that they are going to control an international waterway, charge a toll and if you don’t pay them blow up your ships, we have created a very dangerous precedent which will repeat itself in other parts of the world, including in this region,” Rubio said.
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Rubio said Iran’s support for the Houthis reflects a broader pattern of backing armed groups across the Middle East.
“The Houthis, Hezbollah, the militias in Iraq, Hamas — this is what Iran spends its money on,” Rubio said. “It’s not on its people. It’s on supporting terrorist organizations and destabilizing actors in the region.”
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