Iran is moving aggressively to restore the Houthis’ combat momentum after the heavy blows they suffered from Israeli Air Force strikes, which eliminated several senior Houthi officials and members of their so-called “government.”
According to the Yemeni opposition outlet Defense Line, Tehran has sent back to Sanaa one of its top Quds Force commanders, Abd al-Reza Shahlai, long considered Iran’s chief handler of the Houthis and the architect of their missile and UAV capabilities.
His return follows a period in which the Houthis asked Iran for a pause to regroup, especially after the ceasefire in Gaza allowed them to step back from direct confrontation without appearing to retreat.
The report says Iran fears that allowing the Houthis too much distance from the battlefield will make it harder to re-ignite their attacks against Israel. To fill what Tehran views as an “operational vacuum” following the deaths of Hezbollah’s Nasrallah and Qassem Soleimani, Iran is dispatching IRGC and Hezbollah operatives to Yemen as “jihad advisers.”