Russia may arm Houthi rebels with advanced anti-ship missiles, report says

The Houthis have already acquired a number of anti-ship munitions in the past.

The International Institute for Strategic Studies, a London-based think tank, said in a January report that Houthi forces have possessed anti-ship missiles “for almost a decade now, using them to harass military and commercial maritime traffic.”

The rebels acquired their first anti-ship missiles in late 2014 and early 2015 when they took control of northern Yemen, the think tank report said.

These missiles included the nearly obsolete Soviet-era P-21 and P-22, as well as the Chinese C-801, it added.

“It is unclear if they remain operational or how many they possess,” it continued. “More critically, though, the Houthi forces have gotten their hands on new, better equipment since those early acquisitions.

Cooperation between Russia and the Houthis is growing

Earlier this year, the Houthis reportedly said they would not target Russian or Chinese ships passing through the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden.

In March, Houthi political bureau member Ali al-Qahoum said there is “a constant cooperation and development of relations between Yemen, Russia, China, and BRICS states, as well as an exchange of knowledge and experience in various areas.”

“This is necessary to drown America, the US, and the West in the mire [the crisis] around the Red Sea, to get them bogged down, weaken and become unable to maintain the unipolarity,” he added.