{
  "id": 7304054,
  "title": "Shadow Man, IRGC flight and a secret meeting: Iran’s hand in Houthi offensive revealed",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/14/shadow-man-irgc-flight-and-a-secret-meeting-irans-hand-in-houthi-7304054",
  "topic": "business",
  "section": "Business",
  "published": "2026-09-14T10:49:34.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The National Business",
    "slug": "the-national-business",
    "url": "https://www.thenationalnews.com/news/mena/2026/09/14/shadow-man-irgc-flight-and-a-secret-meeting-irans-hand-in-houthi-offensive-revealed/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "As the Red Sea coast of Yemen fell under Houthi control, whispers of Iran's involvement began to surface. Tehran-based sources revealed a complex web of clandestine operations orchestrated by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) to exploit the conflict for its own strategic gains. At the helm of the operation was Abdul Reza Shahlai, a high-ranking figure in the IRGC's Quds Force, dubbed the \"Shadow Man\" by the United States. Captured in the story is a joint operations room where Iranian operatives collaborated with Houthi forces, facilitating the seizure of key areas along Yemen's western coastline. The IRGC's involvement extended to a secret meeting in Cairo, where discussions on joint strategies were held. With Iran's economy under strain and talks with the US stalled, Tehran saw an opportunity to expand its influence in the region. The operation not only opened a new front in the US-Iran conflict but also allowed Iran to exert control over two vital maritime chokepoints: the Strait of Hormuz and the Bab Al Mandeb strait.",
  "summary": "Less than a week after Yemen’s Houthi rebels seized the Red Sea coast , Iran’s hand in the offensive is coming to light. Sources in Tehran, Aden and Cairo who spoke to The National in recent days detailed a plan by Iran to use the conflict in Yemen as a new pressure point in its war with the US . From a field operative wanted by Washington to a joint operations room, a secret regional meeting and…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 10,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Malay Mail",
        "title": "Iran says US blocked nuclear chief from Vienna atomic agency meeting",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/14/iran-says-us-blocked-nuclear-chief-from-vienna-atomic-agency-meeting",
        "published": "2026-09-14T09:09:04.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "The National UAE",
        "title": "Shadow Man, IRGC flight and a secret meeting: Iran’s hand in Houthi offensive revealed",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/14/shadow-man-irgc-flight-and-a-secret-meeting-irans-hand-in-houthi",
        "published": "2026-09-14T10:49:34.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Winnipeg Free Press",
        "title": "Iran denounces Austria for blocking its nuclear chief from a meeting in Vienna",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/14/iran-denounces-austria-for-blocking-its-nuclear-chief-from-a-meeting",
        "published": "2026-09-14T11:31:53.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Daily Times",
        "title": "Iran nuclear chief blocked from Vienna meeting by US",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/14/iran-nuclear-chief-blocked-from-vienna-meeting-by-us",
        "published": "2026-09-14T11:32:39.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "New Straits Times",
        "title": "US blocks Iran nuclear chief from Vienna meeting",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/14/us-blocks-iran-nuclear-chief-from-vienna-meeting",
        "published": "2026-09-14T11:42:34.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Punch Nigeria",
        "title": "Iran nuclear chief barred from IAEA meeting, Tehran blames US",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/14/iran-nuclear-chief-barred-from-iaea-meeting-tehran-blames-us",
        "published": "2026-09-14T11:46:04.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "South China Morning Post",
        "title": "US blocks Iran’s nuclear chief from Vienna meeting",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/14/us-blocks-irans-nuclear-chief-from-vienna-meeting",
        "published": "2026-09-14T11:57:07.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Al-Monitor",
        "title": "Iran protests as US prevents its nuclear chief attending IAEA meeting",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/14/iran-protests-as-us-prevents-its-nuclear-chief-attending-iaea-meeting",
        "published": "2026-09-14T12:46:31.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "The Times of Israel",
        "title": "US pressures Austria to withdraw visa for Iran nuclear chief attending IAEA meeting",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/14/us-pressures-austria-to-withdraw-visa-for-iran-nuclear-chief",
        "published": "2026-09-14T13:34:25.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}