Houthis use Russian satellite data to target shipping lanes
Shafaq News/ Russia has provided satellite data to the Houthis in Yemen through Iran, enabling attacks on ships in the Red Sea and Bab El-Mandeb Strait, according to a report published Friday by The Wall Street Journal.
The report indicated that Houthi forces have used Russian satellite data, relayed by Iranian intermediaries, to target vessels with ballistic missiles and drones. These claims were attributed to a “source familiar with the matter and two European defense officials,” the Wall Street Journal noted.
The Russian government spokesperson did not immediately respond to requests for comment, and a Houthi spokesperson also declined to comment, according to the report.
In recent months, Iran-backed Houthi forces have launched missiles and drones toward Israel and claimed responsibility for attacks on Red Sea vessels allegedly linked to Israel, citing “support for Palestinians” amid the Israeli war on Gaza, which has killed over 42,847 people, mostly women and children.
Following joint US and British strikes on Houthi sites in Yemen, the Houthis have expanded attacks to include ships they suspect are affiliated with these two countries, leading to a marked decline in traffic through the strategic shipping corridor.
In response, the US and UK deployed a naval coalition to the region and conducted airstrikes against Houthi targets in Yemen.
Over nearly a year, more than 100 Houthi attacks in the area have led to four sailor deaths, the sinking of two vessels, and the ongoing detention of a ship and its crew since their capture in November.
The WSJ report emerges shortly after the BRICS summit, a gathering of nine major economies representing nearly half of the global population, including China, India, and Iran. Russian President Vladimir Putin has used forums like BRICS to demonstrate the failure of diplomatic isolation and economic sanctions imposed on Russia since its invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
