In a new twist in the ongoing Red Sea crisis, it has been reported that Russia has been providing tracking and targeting information to Houthi rebels in a bid to complicate shipping operations in the Red Sea and the broader Middle East region.
The Wall Street Journal first broke the news, writing that the data was provided to the Houthis by Moscow earlier in 2024, as larger-scale attacks involving missiles and drones were underway. Those attacks marked a significant escalation in the long-running Red Sea crisis that has disrupted shipping and delayed transit times.
How was targeting data provided to target commercial ships?
According to reports, Russia’s satellites were used in providing the information. Russia is generally allied with Iran, and Iran has supported the Houthi rebels, who are based in Yemen. Reports say the data for the strike targets was funneled through the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), Iran’s paramilitary group that has involved itself in the Israel-Gaza conflict over the past year.
It is in the interest of the Russian government to have disruption in maritime activity in the Middle East, as slower and delayed maritime shipping hurts the U.S. (and broader Western) economy.
The state of the Red Sea crisis
Of course, the Red Sea crisis has ebbed and flowed over the past year. There were moments when the attacks slowed significantly and there was hope that the crisis was ending. And then, there have been larger attacks that made shippers question lifting security measures too soon. Perhaps with news of Russia’s involvement, international pressure to end the Red Sea crisis and intervene in it will increase and there may be light at the end of the tunnel. It’s unlikely the rebels could keep attacking container ships without the help of a major regional power.
