The Lebanese terror group Hezbollah on Wednesday “categorically denied” claims by Yemen’s government that experts from the organization arrived in Yemen to support the Houthis and participate in managing military operations and developing combat capabilities. The denial comes as the Yemeni terror group escalates daily attacks on government forces and Saudi Arabia.
1+In a statement, Hezbollah said the accusations are “completely baseless and not grounded in any facts,” emphasizing that the organization is not participating in managing military operations inside Yemen. The group added that “the Yemeni people possess the capabilities, resources, and experience that enable them to defend their country and its sovereignty” and that they “do not need support or intervention from any party.”
Yemen’s government statement is no coincidence—the two pro-Iranian terror groups have previously been reported to support each other and even exchange capabilities and strategy. Beyond that, after former Hezbollah chief of staff Hayatham Ali Tabatabai was killed by Israeli forces earlier this year, Saudi media published rare photos of him from a visit he made during the recent war to Houthi-controlled territory in Yemen.
1+According to Yemen’s government statement, 21 foreign experts arrived to help the Houthis: 14 from Iran’s Revolutionary Guards and seven from Hezbollah. Yemen’s Interior Ministry noted that their missions go beyond training and military support to direct supervision of operations, planning, and building the organization’s military capabilities.
The Houthi terror group has controlled the capital Sanaa and large areas of northern Yemen since 2014, and Yemen’s government accuses it of receiving military and logistical support from Iran, including the supply of missile and drone technology. In recent weeks, another escalation has intensified in the conflict between the government, backed by Saudi Arabia, and the terror group—as its operatives approach Yemen’s new capital, Aden.