Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) experts from Iran are assisting Houthi rebels in excavating underground military tunnels and setting up advanced radar systems along the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a vital maritime chokepoint in the Red Sea. Multiple Houthi and Yemeni military sources confirmed the intelligence to AFP on Saturday (September 19, 2026).
According to reports, a four-member delegation of IRGC specialists traveled from Houthi-controlled Hodeidah on Thursday and Friday (September 17–18) to inspect the strategic port and airport of Mokha, as well as the Jabal al-Nar military base located to the east. During their inspection, the experts reviewed ongoing tunnel excavations in mountainous areas overlooking Bab el-Mandeb and met with commanders of the Houthi missile forces to map out radar installations on Zuqar Island in the southern Red Sea.
Citing Yemeni military sources, Sky News Arabia reported that the Houthis have begun deploying radar units on mountain peaks using Iranian military equipment smuggled covertly across the Somali coast to Yemen’s western shores.
