A Houthi fighter mans a machine gun mounted on a truck during a parade for people who attended Houthi military training as part of a mobilization campaign, in Sanaa, Yemen, Dec. 18, 2024. Photo: REUTERS/Khaled Abdullah

i24 News – The Houthis and allied pro-Iranian groups have begun using southern Yemen’s Aden as a new base of operations after Israeli airstrikes rendered Sana’a International Airport inoperable, Yemen’s Interior Minister said in an interview published Sunday.

Major General Ibrahim Haydan, speaking to A-Sharq Al-Awsat, said security forces loyal to Yemen’s internationally recognized government have recently detained several Hezbollah operatives, along with Syrian and Iranian nationals, accused of drug trafficking and supporting Houthi operations.

According to Haydan, pro-Iranian operatives have attempted to enter Aden under the guise of tourists. He revealed that six Iranian citizens have been sentenced to death by a Yemeni court for their alleged roles in espionage and support for the Houthis.

Haydan accused Iran of intensifying its efforts in Yemen following setbacks among its regional proxies, saying Tehran has shifted resources into the country, including military experts, drone technology, and drug production facilities.

“After the fall of some of its traditional proxies, Iran has turned Yemen into its main arena,” Haydan told A-Sharq Al-Awsat.

The minister credited a “deep security partnership” between Aden and Saudi Arabia for the recent arrests, emphasizing that joint operations have achieved “significant successes” in dismantling terrorist and criminal networks.

Haydan also claimed the Houthis are currently “at their weakest point,” citing recent Israeli assassinations of senior Houthi civilian and military figures as a major blow to the group. He said the strikes have created “a rift and split within the group’s internal ranks,” weakening its cohesion.

The remarks come amid escalating regional tensions, with Israel expanding its strikes against Iranian-aligned forces across the Middle East and Yemen emerging as a critical front in Tehran’s regional strategy.