US Concerned About Russia Supplying Missiles to Yemen’s Houthis

(Bloomberg) —

The US is concerned Russia may supply missiles to the Houthis in Yemen, an American official said, a move that could stoke further Middle East unrest by strengthening one of the militant groups fighting Israel.

“It’s something that we are alarmed about,” US Special Envoy for Yemen Tim Lenderking said in a phone interview, when asked about a report that Russia is in talks about delivering Yakhont advanced anti-ship missiles to the Houthis. 

“Any cooperation in the arms sector between the Houthis and the Russians would be very destabilizing,” he said.

The Houthis, one of a network of Islamist militant organizations backed by Iran, began targeting shipping in the Red Sea in late 2023 in response to Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza. The group has shown no let-up even after the US and allies launched airstrikes to deter them, and sank a ship with a sea drone for the first time in June. An increasing number of shipping firms have opted to send vessels on longer routes to bypass the area and insurance costs have shot up.

Israeli fighter jets bombed a seaport and several power stations in Yemen on Sunday following a string of attacks on central Israel by the Houthis.

Russian representatives and the Houthis have held at least two meetings in Tehran this year and further talks are planned, Reuters reported last week, citing two regional officials.

The Russian Defense Ministry didn’t respond to an emailed request for comment. 

Russian President Vladimir Putin has warned that Moscow could provide long-range weapons to those looking to strike Western targets if the US and its allies allow Ukraine to fire deep inside Russian territory. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy is calling on his backers to allow the military to lift limits on the use of weapons they supply, though hasn’t yet been given the go-ahead.

Putin stepped up his threats last week, saying Moscow will revise its nuclear doctrine to include a response to “aggression” by non-nuclear states supported by other nuclear powers. 

The P-800 Yakhont is a supersonic anti-ship missile with a range of 300 kilometers (186 miles). Access to the weapon would significantly enhance the Houthis’ ability to threaten the US and allied warships patrolling the area, while enabling the group to fire at land targets in Saudi Arabia, said Fabian Hinz, an expert at the London-based International Institute for Strategic Studies.

In July, Russia suspended plans to supply missiles and other military equipment to the Houthis after Saudi Arabia persuaded the Kremlin not to proceed, CNN reported. The kingdom fought a war against the group for about eight years until a truce agreement in 2022. 

The Houthis’ defiance in pursuing the Red Sea shipping attacks are undermining efforts to reach a permanent peace deal in Yemen, according to the US envoy.

“That’s not consistent with being a partner for peace,” Lenderking said.

© 2024 Bloomberg L.P.

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