Wall Street Journal Report Claims Iran Providing Houthis with Intelligence, Training and Operational Guidance for Missile and Drone Attacks
Wall Street Journal Report Claims Iran Providing Houthis with Intelligence, Training and Operational Guidance for Missile and Drone Attacks
Saudi Military Coalition Spokesperson’s Briefing and Deputy Foreign Minister’s Accusations Put Iranian Support for Houthis Under Fresh Scrutiny
Riyadh/Dubai, October 18, 2026: Following a press briefing by Saudi-led military coalition spokesperson Turki Al-Maliki and accusations by Saudi Arabia’s deputy foreign minister regarding Iran’s alleged support for Houthi military operations, The Wall Street Journal has reported that Iran is providing Yemen’s Houthi movement with intelligence, military training and operational guidance for attacks against Saudi Arabia and allied Yemeni forces.
According to the newspaper’s report published on October 17, 2026, sources familiar with intelligence assessments in Saudi Arabia and the anti-Houthi coalition in Yemen said Iranian assistance had enhanced the Houthis’ capabilities to conduct missile and drone attacks. The report further alleged that personnel from Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps were helping the Houthis identify targets and plan certain military operations.
The report comes amid growing Saudi concerns over alleged Houthi attempts to target airports, ports and oil facilities in the kingdom. During a press conference on October 15, Turki Al-Maliki said that 20 attacks had been carried out against Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport during October, resulting in casualties.
Al-Maliki also referred to the Houthis’ use of advanced missiles, drones and other military technologies, pointing towards alleged assistance from regional actors.
According to The Wall Street Journal, the Houthis have strengthened their positions in Yemen’s coastal areas, potentially increasing risks to maritime traffic near the strategic Bab al-Mandab Strait and Saudi Arabia’s oil shipments.
The newspaper also claimed that Houthi forces had targeted Saudi oil tankers, energy infrastructure and airports, raising concerns about the security of regional energy supplies and international shipping routes.
The Bab al-Mandab Strait is a strategically important maritime passage connecting the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden and the wider Indian Ocean. Any escalation of military activity in the surrounding coastal areas could threaten commercial shipping and disrupt energy transportation.
However, the allegations concerning Iranian intervention and direct operational military assistance are attributed to sources familiar with Saudi and Yemeni intelligence assessments. Iran and Houthi leaders have denied allegations of this nature. The reported claims should therefore be treated as attributed intelligence-based allegations rather than as independently verified confirmation of every detail.
Source: The Wall Street Journal, October 17, 2026.
