Reuters: Capture of Two Iranian Guards in Yemen by Sunni Militants

On Saturday, April 22, Reuters reported, citing anti-Houthi militants in the city of Aden, southern Yemen, that two Iranian soldiers were captured in the city. Reuters identifies these two individuals as members of the Quds Force, the overseas branch of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. According to local anti-Houthi militants, these two soldiers were detained on Friday evening in Aden while advising the Shiite Houthi rebels. While the Islamic Republic's support for the Houthi rebels in Yemen is well-known, Tehran has denied any military intervention or assistance within Yemen's borders. Accordingly, Reuters states that if the capture of the two Iranian soldiers in Aden is confirmed, it will escalate tensions between Tehran and Riyadh. Saudi Arabia and its Arab allies are attempting to force the Houthi rebels and their military units to retreat through airstrikes and blockades, creating conditions for the return of Yemen's official President Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi to power. Meanwhile, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic, has described the ongoing Saudi airstrikes on Yemen as a 'crime.' Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif has also stated that Iran is ready to assist in dialogues aimed at forming a broad coalition government in Yemen. According to Reuters, citing 'three sources' among the anti-Houthi militants, two Iranian officers, identified as 'Colonel and Captain,' were captured in two different areas of Aden. One of these sources told Reuters that these two members of the Quds Force are to be handed over to Saudi military operation commanders in Yemen. According to the United Nations, the tensions and unrest in Yemen, which escalated last September with the Houthi forces' capture of Sanaa, the capital, have resulted in 600 deaths, 2,200 injuries, and 100,000 displaced persons.