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 on the sidelines of 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."
The US secretary did not specify the identity of these flights, the number of personnel transported, or provide any evidence to support his claim.
Houthi missile attack on Saudi Arabia
Rubio's accusations came after the Houthis declared a blockade in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait against 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 suggested it aimed to stop a flight bringing Houthi leaders home from Iran. Rubio disputed this narrative, claiming that Tehran used the direct flights to transport IRGC personnel and other elements to Yemen.
As tensions escalated, the Houthis launched a missile and drone attack on Saudi Arabia's Abha International Airport. The attack was recorded as one of the most serious clashes between the two sides in years.
Global trade routes under threat
Rubio said they were closely monitoring the situation, noting that any development restricting passage through the Red Sea would cause problems for the same reasons as the Strait of Hormuz. The Saudi military, meanwhile, vowed to keep Bab el-Mandeb open and respond firmly to Houthi threats against commercial vessels.
The narrow strait connecting 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.
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 get 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 said Iran's support for the Houthis reflected its policy of backing armed groups across the Middle East, stating, "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 airstrikes on targets in Iran entered their 11th night. US Central Command said the latest targets included aircraft hangars and drone storage areas.
