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Iran has ordered its military personnel to leave Yemen, effectively cutting off support for its Houthi allies as the United States intensifies its air campaign against the rebel group, the British newspaper The Telegraph reported Thursday.
A senior Iranian official told the newspaper that the move was intended to avoid a direct confrontation with the United States in the event that an Iranian soldier is killed. The withdrawal marks a notable shift in Iran’s regional strategy as it reduces support for proxy forces to prioritize what it sees as direct threats from Washington.
“The main concern in Tehran now is Trump and how to deal with him,” the official said. “Every meeting is dominated by discussions about him. None of the regional groups we previously supported are being discussed.”
President Donald Trump has escalated pressure on Iran, issuing repeated warnings that failure to negotiate over its nuclear program and regional activities would result in devastating airstrikes. He has also declared that any attack carried out by the Houthis—who continue to receive backing from Tehran—would be treated as an attack by Iran itself.
According to the Iranian source, officials in Tehran no longer believe the Houthis can withstand the sustained American bombardment.
“They are living their final months or even days,” the official said. “There is no point in keeping them on our list. They were part of a chain that relied on [Hezbollah leader Hassan] Nasrallah and [Syrian President Bashar] Assad, and keeping only one part of that chain for the future makes no sense.”
The United States has launched near-daily airstrikes on Houthi positions in Yemen. Trump has described the campaign as “unbelievably successful,” with strikes eliminating senior commanders and destroying key military assets. The Houthis claim American bombs have hit civilian and government sites, including a water management facility in the town of Mansouriya.
In response to the escalating conflict, the Pentagon announced this week that the USS Carl Vinson, currently deployed in the Indo-Pacific region, is en route to the Middle East to support operations alongside the USS Harry S. Truman, already stationed near Yemen. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth also ordered reinforcements of air squadrons and additional air defense capabilities.
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American defense officials told Reuters that six B-2 stealth bombers have been deployed to the U.S.-British military base on Diego Garcia, a remote island in the Indian Ocean. The aircraft, designed to penetrate deep into enemy territory undetected, are capable of delivering both conventional and nuclear payloads.
“This location is close enough to reach Yemen or Iran,” a defense expert told Reuters.
According to The Telegraph, Iranian military commanders have considered a preemptive strike on Diego Garcia to deter a potential U.S. offensive. A senior Iranian official said military leaders were instructed to prepare for such an option.