Rubio accuses Iran of flying IRGC personnel into Yemen as Houthi threat escalates

Secretary of State Marco Rubio accused Iran connected Wednesday of flying members of its Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps into Yemen, saying Tehran’s actions helped ignite a renewed confrontation betwixt Saudi Arabia and the Iran-backed Houthi rebels.

"They decided to nonstop nonstop 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 place the flights, specify however galore IRGC unit were allegedly transported oregon supply grounds supporting the allegation.

RUBIO SAYS US REMAINS OPEN TO IRAN TALKS BUT WARNS THERE 'WILL BE CONSEQUENCES'

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio speaks during a property league connected the sidelines of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Foreign Ministers' Meeting successful Pasay, Metro Manila connected July 22, 2026. (Brendan SMIALOWSKI / POOL / AFP via Getty Images)

He made the remarks portion attending an yearly gathering of Association of Southeast Asian Nations overseas ministers successful Manila, Philippines, wherever the U.S.-Iran struggle and threats to planetary shipping were among the cardinal information concerns.

The Houthis person declared a blockade targeting Saudi-linked vessels successful the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, threatening to widen the struggle and disrupt different captious planetary commercialized route.

The rebels accidental they are targeting ships connected to Saudi Arabia oregon traveling to and from the kingdom’s Red Sea ports successful retaliation for Saudi restrictions connected Yemen and a caller onslaught connected the airdrome successful the Houthi-controlled superior of Sanaa.

IRAN-BACKED TERROR PROXY HOUTHIS THREATEN FRESH ATTACKS AFTER YEMEN AIRPORT STRIKE

Oil tankers and cargo ships enactment up successful the Strait of Hormuz arsenic seen from Khor Fakkan, United Arab Emirates, Wednesday, March 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri)

The Houthis blamed Saudi Arabia for the airdrome attack, which they said was intended to halt a formation carrying Houthi leaders location from Iran. Rubio disputed that relationship and alleged that Tehran was utilizing nonstop flights to transport IRGC unit and others into Yemen.

The Houthis aboriginal launched missiles and drones astatine Saudi Arabia’s Abha International Airport, marking 1 of the astir superior confrontations betwixt the 2 sides successful years.

Rubio said U.S. officials had spoken repeatedly with Saudi officials during the past week astir the Houthi threat.

IRAN CALLS ON HOUTHIS TO PREPARE TO CUT OFF RED SEA GATEWAY — CAN THE TERROR GROUP DO IT?

"Anything that restricts shipping done the Red Sea would beryllium problematic for the aforesaid reasons that the Strait of Hormuz is problematic," Rubio said. "So we’re watching that closely."

Saudi Arabia’s subject has vowed to support Bab el-Mandeb unfastened and respond firmly to Houthi threats against commercialized vessels utilizing the waterway.

The constrictive strait connects the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden and serves arsenic a large shipping corridor linking Europe and Asia done the Suez Canal. Around 12% of planetary commercialized and astir one-quarter of worldwide instrumentality postulation usually walk done the route.

Its value has grown arsenic the U.S.-Iran struggle has sharply curtailed shipping done the Strait of Hormuz. Saudi Arabia has progressively relied connected Red Sea export routes to transport lipid to planetary markets.

A Houthi follower looks on, during a pro-Iran demonstration, arsenic the U.S.-Israel struggle with Iran continues, successful Sanaa, Yemen April 6, 2026. (Khaled Abdullah/Reuters)

The Houthi-run SABA quality bureau claimed six vessels had altered people aft receiving warnings from the group, a assertion that could not beryllium independently verified.

The Houthis accidental the blockade is constricted to Saudi-linked shipping. During their earlier run connected to the warfare successful Gaza, however, the rebels attacked much than 100 vessels, including ships with small oregon nary evident transportation to Israel.

President Donald Trump said Tuesday that the latest Houthi menace had not materialized.

"So far, it hasn’t happened," Trump told reporters. "I deliberation that if determination is thing similar that, we’ll conscionable person to instrumentality attraction of business."

Rubio’s accusation came arsenic the U.S. subject carried retired an 11th consecutive nighttime of strikes against targets successful Iran. U.S. Central Command said the latest targets included craft hangars and drone retention sites.

Speaking to Southeast Asian leaders, Rubio besides warned that allowing Iran to power the Strait of Hormuz, cod tolls and onslaught ships that refused to comply would acceptable a unsafe precedent for planetary waterways astir the world.

"If we make a precedent successful the Middle East wherever a federation authorities tin determine that they are going to power an planetary waterway, complaint a toll and if you don’t wage them stroke up your ships, we person created a precise unsafe precedent which volition repetition itself successful different parts of the world, including successful this region," Rubio said.

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Rubio said Iran’s enactment for the Houthis reflects a broader signifier of backing equipped groups crossed the Middle East.

"The Houthis, Hezbollah, the militias successful Iraq, Hamas — this is what Iran spends its wealth on," Rubio said. "It’s not connected its people. It’s connected supporting violent organizations and destabilizing actors successful the region."