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Russia Aided Houthis' Attacks on Western Ships, Disrupting Global Trade: Wall Street Journal

Oct 24, 2024, 07:40 PM

According to a Wall Street Journal report, Russia has provided satellite targeting data to Yemen’s Houthi rebels, enabling them to attack Western ships in the Red Sea with missiles and drones earlier this year. The data was funneled through embedded members of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). These assaults on global shipping have disrupted trade in a major artery for global commerce, the Bab al-Mandab strait, through which nearly 10% of daily oil shipments pass. The Houthis began their attacks late last year over the Gaza war and have attacked more than 100 ships since November 2023, sinking two and hijacking another, further destabilizing the region. Moscow's assistance in these attacks reflects an effort to tie up the United States in the Middle East and disrupt global trade.