Despite the United States repeatedly confirming that Iran supports the Houthis in Yemen with weapons, it has not directly accused Iran of involvement in the recent Houthi attacks that have escalated since the Gaza war on shipping vessels in the Red Sea. However, a new report published by the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA), which provides information to the Department of Defense (Pentagon) and the intelligence community, revealed details about this Iranian support for the Houthi group.
The report explained that Iran supplied the Houthis with a large and diverse arsenal of weapons, including short and medium-range ballistic missiles, as well as cruise missiles. Intelligence also confirmed that this support began in 2015 and has continued. Additionally, it disclosed that the United States intercepted at least 18 Iranian ships between 2020 and 2023 that were smuggling weapons to the Yemeni group, including components for ballistic missiles, drones, anti-tank guided missiles, and thousands of assault rifles.
It also indicated that the Houthis used the anti-ship ballistic missile "Asef" and the Quds-4 missile during their recent attacks on commercial vessels in the Red Sea and Gulf of Oman, as well as in attempts to strike Israel. The range of the "Asef" missile is 250 miles, with a payload of over 1,000 pounds, and it closely resembles the Iranian missile Fateh-110. The Houthis also used the "Saqr" missile to attack American drones near Yemen and in the Gulf of Oman.
