By Al-Fassel | 2024-10-29

Russia has provided satellite data to help the Iran-backed Houthis strike ships in the Red Sea, the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported October 24.

The data was transmitted by Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) intermediaries and used to target ships with missiles and drones, it said, citing a person familiar with the matter and two anonymous European defense officials.

The Houthis "eventually began using Russian satellite data as they expanded their strikes," officials told the WSJ, reportedly passing it through IRGC elements embedded with the Houthis in Yemen.

The Houthis have been targeting commercial shipping in the Red Sea, causing a dramatic drop in traffic through the key international shipping lane.

In more than 100 attacks over nearly a year, four sailors have been killed and two ships have sunk, while one vessel, the Galaxy Leader, and its crew remain detained since being hijacked by the Houthis last November, AFP reported.

Russia has sought to use the Middle East conflict to divert global attention and resources away from its war on Ukraine, analysts told the WSJ.

"Moscow has sought to build tighter military partnerships with autocracies, pulling Iran and North Korea deeper into its Ukraine war effort," it said.

Russia 'in dialogue' with Houthis

US special envoy for Yemen Tim Lenderking in September said Russia was discussing weapons transfers with the Houthis and "cutting its own deals" with the group to allow its ships to sail through the Red Sea unharmed.

"We have confirmation that the Russians and the Houthis are in dialogue about ways to cooperate," including on weapon transfers, Lenderking told AFP.

"We don't know that weapons are being transferred as we speak, but it's come to the point that we're all sounding the alarm bell to make sure that this does not happen," he said.

"The notion that the Russians would provide the Houthis with lethal weapons is deeply alarming to the countries of the region," he said.

US intelligence agencies have previously warned that Russia may be planning to arm the Houthis in Yemen with advanced anti-ship missiles.

Aerial photographs taken several months ago show a rendezvous between a large Russian ship and smaller Houthi boats, which then ferried crates to shore, according to a reliable US government source.

A Russian arms dealer was in early October trying to broker the sale of about $10 million worth of small arms to the Houthis, WSJ has reported, though it was unclear whether the sale had been initiated by the Kremlin.