Rubio claims Iran flew IRGC personnel into Yemen to back Houthis
Iran’s ‘CRITICAL’ oil blockade: Red Sea CHAOS, PRICE SHOCK in crude oil
Dagen McDowell highlights how Iran’s financial support of terrorist proxies, including the Houthis in Yemen, led to a naval embargo against Saudi Arabia. This significant increase in the Middle East is jeopardizing critical oil shipping lines in the Red Sea and leaving global investors on high alert due to the potential economic repercussions.
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Secretary of State Marco Rubio accused Iran on Wednesday of flying members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps to Yemen and said Tehran’s actions helped reignite a conflict between Saudi Arabia and Iran-backed Houthi rebels.
“They decided to send direct flights from Tehran to Yemen to transport elements of the Revolutionary Guard and others into the country,” Rubio told reporters. “And the Saudis responded.”
Rubio did not identify the flights, indicate how many Revolutionary Guard personnel were allegedly transported, or provide evidence to support the claim.
RUBIO SAID THE USA IS OPEN TO IRAN TALKING BUT WARNED THAT ‘THEY WILL HAVE CONSEQUENCES’
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio speaks at a press conference on the sidelines of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Foreign Ministers Meeting in Pasay, Metro Manila, July 22, 2026. (Brendan SMIALOWSKI / POOL / AFP via Getty Images)
He made the remarks while attending the annual meeting of foreign ministers of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations in Manila, Philippines, where the US-Iran conflict and threats to international shipping are among the main security concerns.
The Houthis have declared a blockade targeting Saudi-linked ships in the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, threatening to expand the conflict and disrupt another critical global trade route.
The rebels say they are targeting ships bound for Saudi Arabia or traveling to and from the kingdom’s Red Sea ports in retaliation for Saudi crackdowns on Yemen and a recent attack on the airport in the Houthi-controlled capital Sanaa.
IRAN-SUPPORTED TERRORIST PROXY HUTTIES ARE THREATENING WITH NEW ATTACKS AFTER YEMEN AIRPORT ATTACK
Oil tankers and cargo ships line up in the Strait of Hormuz as seen from Khor Fakkan, United Arab Emirates, on Wednesday, March 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Altaf Kadri)
The Houthis blamed Saudi Arabia for the airport attack, which they said was aimed at stopping a flight carrying Houthi leaders home from Iran. Rubio disputed this statement and claimed that Tehran was using direct flights to transport Revolutionary Guard personnel and others to Yemen.
The Houthis then launched missiles and drones at Saudi Arabia’s Abha International Airport; This marked one of the most serious clashes between the two sides in recent years.
Rubio said U.S. officials have spoken repeatedly with Saudi officials over the past week about the Houthi threat.
IRAN CALLS THE HOUTHIS TO PREPARE TO BLOCK THE RED SEA PASSAGE – CAN THE TERRORIST GROUP DO THIS?
“Anything that restricts shipping through the Red Sea would be problematic for the same reasons the Strait of Hormuz is problematic,” Rubio said. he said. “So we’re watching that closely.”
Saudi Arabia’s military has vowed to keep Bab al-Mandeb open and respond harshly to Houthi threats to commercial ships using the waterway.
The bottleneck connects the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden and serves as a key shipping corridor connecting Europe and Asia via the Suez Canal. About 12% of global trade and roughly a quarter of worldwide container traffic normally passes through this route.
Its importance increased as the US-Iran conflict sharply restricted shipping in the Strait of Hormuz. Saudi Arabia is increasingly relying on Red Sea export routes to transport oil to international markets.
A Houthi follower watches during a pro-Iran demonstration as the US-Israeli conflict with Iran continues in Sanaa, Yemen, on April 6, 2026. (Khaled Abdullah/Reuters)
The Houthi-run SABA news agency claimed that six ships changed 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. But during their previous campaign in the war in Gaza, rebels attacked more than 100 ships, including ships with little or no connection to Israel.
President Donald Trump said Tuesday that the latest Houthi threat has not materialized.
“Nothing like this has ever happened,” Trump told reporters. “If there is such a thing, I think we should mind our business.”
Rubio’s accusation came as the US military carried out its 11th consecutive night of attacks against targets in Iran. U.S. Central Command said recent targets included aircraft hangars and drone storage areas.
Speaking to Southeast Asian leaders, Rubio also warned that allowing Iran to control the Strait of Hormuz, collect tolls and attack ships that refuse 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 to control an international waterway, charge fees, and blow up your ships if you don’t pay them, we’re creating a very dangerous precedent that will be repeated in other parts of the world, including in this region,” Rubio said. he said.
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Rubio said Iran’s support for the Houthis reflects a broader pattern of supporting armed groups in the Middle East.
“The Houthis, Hezbollah, the militias in Iraq, Hamas; Iran is spending its money on them,” Rubio said. “This is not about his own people. This is about supporting terrorist organizations and supporting destabilizing actors in the region.”
