Oil prices climbed above $100 a barrel Thursday for the first time since May as markets reacted to a major escalation in the war with Iran. 
Brent crude, the international benchmark, briefly traded above the $100 threshold after Iranian-backed Houthi militants attacked two oil tankers transiting the Bab el-Mandeb Strait in the Red Sea. The attacks heightened concerns about global oil shipments as disruptions continued in the Strait of Hormuz. Together, the two waterways handle roughly 30% of the world&#8217;s oil.
Goldman Sachs <a href="https://www.marketwatch.com/story/oil-prices-could-surpass-120-per-barrel-if-disruptions-in-strait-of-hormuz-dont-ease-says-goldman-sachs-047f8f88">warned</a> Brent crude could climb as high as $120 per barrel if disruptions continue in both the Strait of Hormuz and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.
President Donald Trump responded Thursday by <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/116969243226176328">warning</a> Iran would face dire consequences if the Houthis continued targeting commercial shipping.
Trump said on social media that if the Houthis “do this again, the U.S. will hold Iran responsible, in that the Houthis are a Surrogate and/or Proxy of Iran, and major military punishment will be inflicted upon Iran and, of course, the Houthis, themselves.” 
Reuters separately <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/iran-flew-irgc-commanders-missile-gear-yemens-houthis-sources-say-2026-07-23/">reported</a> that Iran earlier this month flew military commanders, advisers, gold, and weapons into neighboring Yemen, citing two Iranian sources who said between 10 and 21 Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps commanders were aboard the flight &#8220;to support Houthi operations and provide training on new missile systems.&#8221;
The spike in oil prices also rattled financial markets. The Nasdaq 100 was on <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-07-23/us-stock-futures-drop-as-traders-focus-on-ai-spending-oil-jumps">pace</a> for its worst day in a month, while the Nasdaq Composite fell <a href="https://finance.yahoo.com/markets/live/stock-market-today-thursday-july-23-dow-sp-500-nasdaq-oil-bonds-earnings-084444369.html">2.6%</a>, the Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 1.1%, and the S&amp;P 500 lost 1.4%. 
The selloff came despite otherwise encouraging economic news, with initial jobless claims <a href="https://finance.yahoo.com/economy/policy/articles/us-weekly-jobless-claims-fall-123957463.html">falling</a> to their lowest level since 1969. 
A sustained rise in crude prices could also complicate the fight against inflation by increasing fuel and transportation costs throughout the economy.
Despite Thursday&#8217;s surge, Goldman Sachs maintained its forecast for Brent crude to average about $80 per barrel in the fourth quarter, citing stronger-than-expected production and weaker demand from China, South Korea, and the Middle East.

Gas pump

Oil Prices Surge Back Across Dire Milestone After Houthis Enter Iran War

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Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps

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Strait of Hormuz

Iran-backed Houthi terrorists in Yemen have <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2026/07/21/world/middleeast/houthis-yemen-iran-war.html">declared</a> a maritime blockade targeting Saudi Arabian ships in the Red Sea, a move that risks pulling the group deeper into the U.S.-Iran war and further straining global energy routes.
As the conflict between the United States and Iran festered across the Middle East over the past five months, Yemen had largely remained a spectator. That changed Monday when the Houthis, who control a significant portion of the country including areas along the strategic Bab al-Mandab Strait, announced the blockade on Saudi vessels. The declaration comes amid rising tensions and raises the prospect of disrupted oil and gas shipments at a time when the Strait of Hormuz has already been heavily impacted.
The Houthis, a terrorist group originally from Yemen’s northern highlands, took control of the capital Sanaa over a decade ago with Iranian backing. Saudi Arabia responded in 2015 by leading a military intervention aimed at restoring the internationally recognized government, triggering a prolonged civil war. A ceasefire in 2022 largely froze the conflict into a fragile stalemate.
Tensions reignited last week after the Houthis accused Saudi Arabia of striking Sanaa’s main international airport. The dispute centered on an Iranian plane that attempted to land there following a Houthi delegation’s attendance at the funeral in Tehran for Iran’s slain supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Yemen’s Saudi-backed government claimed responsibility for the airport strike, though it lacks a functional air force and depends heavily on Saudi military support. A senior Yemeni official said the plane was believed to be “carrying personnel and military dual-use equipment” from Iran.
In response, the Houthis launched an attack on Abha airport in southern Saudi Arabia, the first direct strike on Saudi soil by the group since early 2022. Houthi leader Abdul Malik al-Houthi had previously warned that all Saudi oil and energy facilities would become targets if the kingdom escalated militarily.
Analysts view the Red Sea threat as potential leverage for Iran in its confrontation with the United States. “I think the message from Iran is: Don’t assume our leverage is limited to the Strait of Hormuz. We also have an ally that can threaten the Bab al-Mandab if needed,” said Ahmed Nagi, a Yemen analyst at the International Crisis Group.
The Saudi-led coalition stated it would respond to any Houthi threats against transiting vessels “swiftly and firmly,” according to coalition spokesman Turki al-Malki. Yemen’s defense minister, Taher al-Aqili, said the army of the internationally recognized government stands ready “to end the Houthi coup,” while exiled president Rashad al-Alimi urged residents in Houthi-controlled areas to “align themselves around the state.”
The Houthis have disrupted Red Sea shipping before. During the two-year Gaza war that began in late 2023, they targeted commercial vessels with drones, missiles, and hijackings. Saudi Arabia has recently relied on Red Sea routes to export more than 3.6 million barrels of oil and related fuels a day, mostly to Asia, according to maritime data firm Kpler. 
Yasir al-Rumayyan, chairman of Saudi Arabia’s state oil giant, described the ability to use Red Sea export terminals — circumventing the blocked Strait of Hormuz — as a “lifeline” for the country&#8217;s economy. A sustained Houthi blockade could impact more than 3 percent of the global oil market.
“The Red Sea is always an easy way in which they can make the world bleed,” said Farea Al-Muslimi, a research fellow at Chatham House. “The Houthis are banking on insurance costs going up and panic among the global shipping industry like what happened during the war in Gaza.”
The latest developments unfold against a backdrop of continued Iranian efforts to arm the Houthis. In July 2025, U.S. Central Command <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/centcom-praises-yemeni-allies-who-interdicted-irans-weapons-bound-for-houthis?author=Hank+Berrien&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=CENTCOM+Praises+Yemeni+Allies+Who+Interdicted+Iran%E2%80%99s+Weapons+Bound+For+Houthis">praised</a> Yemeni National Resistance Forces, led by Gen. Tareq Saleh, for intercepting the largest seizure of Iranian advanced conventional weapons in their history, over 750 tons of munitions and hardware, including hundreds of advanced cruise, anti-ship, and anti-aircraft missiles, warheads, seekers, components, hundreds of drone engines, air defense equipment, radar systems, and communications gear. Manuals were in Farsi, and many systems came from a company affiliated with Iran’s Ministry of Defense. 
At the time, CENTCOM Commander Gen. Michael Erik Kurilla called Iran “the most destabilizing actor in the region” and stressed that limiting the flow of Iranian support to the Houthis remains critical to regional security, stability, and freedom of navigation.
The Houthis have not yet detailed how they plan to enforce the blockade.

Seizure Process Of Israeli Cargo By Houthis In Yemen

A Familiar Terrorist Foe May Be About To Enter The Iran War

Terrorism

One of the primary reasons my campaign for Congress was successful was that I embraced President Trump’s Peace through Strength agenda and promised to hold Iran’s terror proxy, the Houthis, accountable. I meant it; it was not a throwaway line. It is a moral and strategic imperative, which is why one of my first legislative acts was <a href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/1250">introducing H.R. 1250</a>. This bill requires the designation of Ansarallah, the Houthi movement, as a foreign terrorist organization and mandates sanctions on its leaders and affiliates.
The Houthis are not some faraway nuisance. Their campaign of terror, their alliance with Iran, and their direct threat to global shipping and stability make them a clear and present danger. To hesitate would only embolden them.
During my deployment to Saudi Arabia as a U.S. Army Reserve Intelligence Officer, I had a front-row seat to the Houthi threat. Under constant risk of Houthi strikes in Saudi Arabia, I worked to develop measures to prevent insider threats like the Pensacola base shooting.
Let me be clear: the Houthis are not a political faction looking for a seat at the table. They are violent extremists who seized territory in Yemen, trapping millions in misery. They threaten Red Sea shipping lanes, target civilian infrastructure, and fire rockets across borders into sovereign nations, and they operate with Iran’s full financial and military backing.
The Houthis are one part of a wider Iranian proxy network. These groups menace regional rivals and target Americans. Iran-backed militias killed three U.S. Army reservists in Jordan earlier this year. They struck at America’s energy interests in Iraq’s Kurdistan Region, including HKN, a company tied to the family of Ross Perot.
The Houthis, Hezbollah, and the Iraqi militias are all part of the same web of terror. Ignoring one is ignoring all. President Trump gets that, and that’s why he was able to free Princeton student Elizabeth Tsurkov, whose siblings I hosted in my office, from Iraqi Hezbollah captivity last month – after two years of Biden-Harris inaction.
Within a month of taking office, Biden-Harris revoked President Trump’s terror designation of the Houthis and badgered our Saudi and Emirati allies to cease fighting the terrorists. By 2024, Biden, Harris, or the Autopen had buyer’s remorse and moved to partially redesignate the group.
That is why decisively codifying President Trump’s redesignation of the Houthis as a foreign terrorist organization matters. It is not symbolic. It gives us sharper tools: sanctions, financial restrictions, visa bans, and the ability to choke off their networks. H.R. 1250 requires the President to act within 30 days and also forces determinations on senior figures, including Abdul Malik al-Houthi and Abdullah Yahya al-Hakim. Targeting leadership matters. Cutting money matters. Disrupting weapons pipelines matters.
<div id="attachment_979475" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-979475" class="size-large wp-image-979475" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/GettyImages-2228070084-864x576.jpg" alt="Huthi supporters and university students shout anti-Israeli slogans, calling for an end to the war in Gaza, during a demonstration in Sanaa on August 6, 2025. (Photo by Mohammed HUWAIS / AFP) (Photo by MOHAMMED HUWAIS/AFP via Getty Images)" width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/GettyImages-2228070084-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/GettyImages-2228070084-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/GettyImages-2228070084-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/GettyImages-2228070084.jpg 1024w" sizes=" (max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" />MOHAMMED HUWAIS/AFP via Getty Images</div>
Some might ask, why act now? Why make this an early priority? Every moment of hesitation allows the Houthis to consolidate power, disrupt trade, and strike at allies. More than 90% of container shipping through the Suez Canal <a href="https://apnews.com/article/red-sea-yemen-houthis-attack-ships-f67d941c260528ac40315ecab4c34ca3">was halted by the Houthis</a>, which accounts for approximately 40% of the world’s container shipping and a route for over one billion barrels of oil per day. 
This disruption is a key driver of global inflation, cutting the buying power of American families.
Sanctions are one part of a larger strategy to end Yemen’s war. We must also work to block weapons flows from Iran, keep humanitarian channels open, and tighten oversight in Congress to make sure enforcement does not drift or get watered down.
Critics will say this risks escalation and hinders peace talks. However, pressure is not the enemy of peace; weakness is. That’s why the Houthis felt so emboldened, and why they were the only group to relentlessly attack Israel — regardless of Hezbollah’s and Iran’s pauses. Labeling the Houthis as terrorists does not declare war. It puts the law on our side. Negotiations only work when leverage is real. The Houthis will never come to the table if they believe America lacks resolve.
Failing to respond only invites more attacks.
<h3><a href="https://get.dailywire.com/subscribe/plus/?utm_campaign=fall40&amp;utm_content=fallsale&amp;utm_medium=website&amp;utm_source=editorial">Get 40% off new DailyWire+ annual memberships with code FALL40 at checkout!</a></h3>
Just this week, the Houthis declared that they will start to target additional U.S. oil firms, such as Chevron and ExxonMobil. This is unacceptable, and it’s time for my colleagues in Congress to act.
Holding the Houthis accountable was one of my first promises, and H.R. 1250 is how that promise begins to take shape. Passing this legislation sends a message: the United States will not cede the Red Sea, will not normalize terrorism, and will not stand by while Iran’s proxies destabilize the region.
The Houthis think they can outlast our resolve. They are wrong. America has faced down far greater threats with determination and clarity. We will do so again. By standing firm, by acting decisively, and by keeping our word, we can ensure that no terrorist movement, whether in Yemen, Iraq, or anywhere else, believes it can threaten American lives and hinder prosperity without consequence.
* * *
Congressman Abe J. Hamadeh represents Arizona’s 8th Congressional District. 
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

Demonstration Held After US Announcement Stopping Strikes On Houthis in Yemen

Why Congress Must Back Trump And Make The Houthi Terrorist Designation Official

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According to US Central Command (CEMTCOM), Yemeni forces opposed to the anti-American Houthis, who are a proxy for Iran, successfully interdicted a massive Iranian weapons shipment bound for the Houthis.
Reports in 2024 indicated that Iran was reportedly acting as a go-between for the Houthis and Russia in order for the Russians to send anti-ship missiles to the Houthis. “Russia is negotiating with the Houthis for the transfer of Yakhont supersonic anti-ship missiles,” an intelligence source told <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/iran-brokering-talks-send-advanced-russian-missiles-yemens-houthis-sources-say-2024-09-24/">Reuters</a>. “The Iranians are brokering the talks but do not want to have their signature over it.”
In May of this year, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth warned Iran against providing “lethal support” to the Houthis. “We see your LETHAL support to The Houthis,” Hegseth <a href="https://x.com/SecDef/status/1917741093392707886">posted on X</a>. “We know exactly what you are doing. You know very well what the U.S. Military is capable of — and you were warned. You will pay the CONSEQUENCE at the time and place of our choosing.”
“Congratulations to the Yemeni National Resistance  Forces (NRF), led by Gen. Tareq Saleh, for the largest seizure of Iranian advanced conventional weapons in their history,” CENTCOM wrote on X. “The NRF intercepted and seized over 750 tons of  munitions and hardware to include hundreds of advanced cruise, anti-ship, and anti-aircraft missiles, warheads and seekers, components as well as hundreds of drone engines, air defense equipment,  radar systems, and communications equipment.&#8221;
“According to the NRF,  there were manuals in Farsi and many of the systems were manufactured by  a company affiliated with the Iranian Ministry of Defense that is sanctioned by the United States. The illegal shipment  was intended for use by the Iranian-backed Houthis,” CENTCOM continued.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Yemeni Partners Successfully Interdict Massive Iranian Weapons Shipment Bound for the Houthis
Congratulations to the Yemeni National Resistance Forces (NRF), led by Gen. Tareq Saleh, for the largest seizure of Iranian advanced conventional weapons in their history.
The NRF… <a href="https://t.co/4QXAav1bbr">pic.twitter.com/4QXAav1bbr</a>
— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) <a href="https://twitter.com/CENTCOM/status/1945507629100638655?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 16, 2025</a></blockquote>
“We commend the legitimate government  forces of Yemen who continue to interdict the flow of Iranian munitions  bound for the Houthis,” Gen. Michael Erik Kurilla, commander of CENTCOM, declared. “The interdiction of this massive Iranian shipment  shows that Iran remains the most destabilizing actor in the region. Limiting the free flow of  Iranian support to the Houthis is critic to regional security, stability, and freedom of navigation.”

U.S. Central Command and U.S. Africa Command in Review of The Defense Authorization Request for Fiscal Year 2024 and The Future Years Defense Program

CENTCOM Praises Yemeni Allies Who Interdicted Iran’s Weapons Bound For Houthis

Centcom

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As Israelis have tried to return to normalcy after weeks of sirens forcing them into shelters in the middle of the night, on Tuesday night in Israel, sirens again went off as the Houthis in Yemen, proxies for the despotic regime in Iran, fired another missile at Israel that was intercepted, despite the ceasefire agreed to by Israel and Iran on the morning of June 24.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
🔴 Sirens in Jerusalem and throughout Israel due to a missile fired by the Houthis, Iran’s proxy in Yemen.
&mdash; Avi Mayer אבי מאיר (@AviMayer) <a href="https://twitter.com/AviMayer/status/1940100478617985359?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 1, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
🚨Sirens sounding across several areas in Israel due to projectile fire from Yemen🚨 <a href="https://t.co/hvGexBHeMd">pic.twitter.com/hvGexBHeMd</a>
&mdash; Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) <a href="https://twitter.com/IDF/status/1940100582221750441?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 1, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
The last Iran-backed Houthi missile appears to have been an exoatmospheric interception. <a href="https://t.co/Jnv3knhgSQ">https://t.co/Jnv3knhgSQ</a> <a href="https://t.co/PZ1tbGries">pic.twitter.com/PZ1tbGries</a>
&mdash; Open Source Intel (@Osint613) <a href="https://twitter.com/Osint613/status/1940109948052004887?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 1, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
On Saturday, the Houthis <a href="https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_entry/houthis-claim-responsibility-for-morning-missile-attack-on-south/">fired</a> a ballistic missile at southern Israel; it was intercepted. The terrorist group has been firing missiles at Israel for the last two months. On Sunday morning, the Houthis launched a missile targeting Israel’s largest airport, where hundreds of people waited to board planes out of the country. The Houthi missile hit just 75 meters from Terminal 3 at Ben Gurion Airport.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
The massive crater created by the Houthi ballistic missile impact this morning near Ben Gurion International Airport in Central Israel. The missile impacted next to an access road outside the airport, with the crater measured to be 25 meters across and several meters deep,… <a href="https://t.co/VhmLvWNkmJ">pic.twitter.com/VhmLvWNkmJ</a>
&mdash; OSINTdefender (@sentdefender) <a href="https://twitter.com/sentdefender/status/1918940481842549211?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 4, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
The missile was the <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/05/04/world/middleeast/houthi-missile-tel-aviv-israel.html">fourth missile attack on Israel in 48 hours</a> from the Houthis; the other three were intercepted.
On October 19, 2023, 12 days after the Hamas massacre of more than 1200 Israelis, the Houthis fired a barrage of rockets and drones into Israeli territory. A combination of Saudi air defences and the USS Carney intercepted all of the missiles.
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In July 2024, the Houthis hit an apartment building near the U.S. Embassy branch office in Tel Aviv with a drone attack, which killed one person and injured 10 others.
According to the Defense Intelligence Agency, Iran has supplied the Houthis with weapons and weapon components.
“Critical components of various missiles were seized and, upon further analysis, found to share near-identical features with Iranian missile systems. Between 2015 and 2024, the United States and its partners have interdicted at least 20 Iranian smuggling vessels, seizing ballistic, cruise, and surface-to-air missile components, antitank guided missiles, unmanned aerial vehicles, and other illicit weapons destined for the Houthis,” the DIA <a href="https://ye.usembassy.gov/dia-report-showcases-iranian-origin-of-houthi-weapons-interdicted-at-sea/">reported</a>, adding, “DIA has released the report to enhance public understanding of Iran’s malign activities and to provide insights into Department of Defense and national security issues. The report advances U.S. intelligence efforts to display the clear connections between Iranian weapons and the weapons used in Houthi attacks.”

Daily Life In Yemen 2025

Israel Thwarts Latest Houthi Attack As Iranian-Backed Missiles Keep Coming

Israel

An Israeli airstrike left the main airport in Yemen&#8217;s capital, which serves as &#8220;a central hub for the Houthi terrorist regime,&#8221; fully disabled on Tuesday, according to the Israeli Defense Forces.
On Tuesday morning, the IDF <a href="https://x.com/IsraelArabic/status/1919718827119476993" target="_blank" rel="noopener">issued a warning</a> in Arabic for all individuals to immediately evacuate Sanaa International Airport and its surrounding areas. About one hour later, IDF fighter jets struck the airport and other infrastructure in Houthi-controlled Sanaa, Yemen.
The retaliatory strike comes as Israel and the United States continue attacks on Houthi terrorists, who continually shot ballistic missiles at Israel and attacked more than 100 international cargo ships, tankers, and naval vessels following Hamas’ October 7 assault on Israel.
The strike “dismantled Houthi terrorist infrastructure at the main airport in Sanaa fully disabling the airport,” according to the IDF. Flight runways, aircraft, and airport infrastructure were struck in the attack. According to the IDF, the airport “served as a central hub for the Houthi terrorist regime to transfer weapons and operatives” and was used for “terrorist purposes.&#8221;
“This underscores the Houthi terrorist regime’s brutal exploitation of civilian infrastructure for terrorist activity,” the IDF said in a statement.
The IDF said the strike on Sanaa Airport was a direct response to a missile fired by the Houthis that landed near Israel’s Ben-Gurion Airport, injuring six people and temporarily halting flights. The IDF said the missile was not intercepted due to a technical malfunction, noting that its systems typically maintain a 95% success rate against missiles launched from Yemen.
“Over the past year and a half, the Houthi terrorist regime has been operating under Iranian direction and funding, in order to target the State of Israel and its allies, undermine regional stability, and disrupt global freedom of navigation,” the IDF said. “The IDF is determined to continue operating, at any distance, against all threats posed to the citizens of the State of Israel.”
Following the strike, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz warned that the Iranian regime will &#8220;bear direct responsibility for any attack by the Houthi tentacle against the State of Israel.&#8221;
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The IDF also targeted Al Imran Concrete Plant north of Sanaa, which the IDF says the Houthis use to build underground tunnels and terror infrastructure, as well as several central power plants in the Sanaa area. According to the IDF, the Houthis exploit energy infrastructure for terrorist purposes.
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“This strike further degrades the Houthi regime’s economic and military buildup capabilities,” the IDF said. “The strikes were carried out with prevision, and steps were taken to mitigate harm to civilians and civilian infrastructure.”
The strikes were approved by the Commanding Officer of the Israeli Air Force and the IDF’s Chief of the General Staff.
The <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/israel-coordinates-us-counterstrike-houthis-following-airport-attack?author=Kassy+Akiva&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=0&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Israel+Coordinates+With+United+States+To+Counterstrike+Houthis+Following+Airport+Attack" target="_blank" rel="noopener">IDF also struck</a> Houthi infrastructure in Yemen on Monday, including the Hudaydah Port which it claims is used for the transfer of Iranian weapons and military equipment as well as the “Bajil” Concrete Plant, described by the IDF as a “significant economic resource for the Houthis” and is used for the construction of “underground tunnels and terrorist infrastructure for the terrorist regime.”
<div id="attachment_916385" style="width: 1034px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-916385" class="size-large wp-image-916385" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/05/Cover-images-1200-x-628-px-2-1024x536.png" alt="IDF map showing Houthi targets of air strike " width="1024" height="536" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/05/Cover-images-1200-x-628-px-2-1024x536.png 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/05/Cover-images-1200-x-628-px-2-300x157.png 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/05/Cover-images-1200-x-628-px-2-768x402.png 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/05/Cover-images-1200-x-628-px-2.png 1200w" sizes=" (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" />The IDF struck Houthi infrastructure in Yemen on Monday, May 5, including at the Hudaydah Port as well as the “Bajil” Concrete Plant. (IDF)</div>
During Monday’s strike, around 20 Israeli Air Force fighter jets dropped 50 munitions on dozens of Houthi targets. The strike, which was coordinated with the United States, marked Israel’s sixth airstrike on the group since July 2024 in response to over 400 attacks by the Iranian-backed Houthis during the war. It was the first such strike since President Donald Trump took office.
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In March, Trump declared that “Every shot fired by the Houthis will be looked upon, from this point forward, as being a shot fired from the weapons and leadership of IRAN.” He added that Iran would be held responsible and “suffer the consequences, and those consequences will be dire.” Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/you-will-pay-the-consequence-pete-hegseth-warns-iran-over-lethal-support-to-houthis?author=Kassy+Akiva&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=0&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=%E2%80%98You+Will+Pay+The+Consequence%E2%80%99%3A+Pete+Hegseth+Warns+Iran+Over+Lethal+Support+To+Houthis" target="_blank" rel="noopener">warned</a> last week that Iran would “pay the consequence” for providing “lethal support” to the Houthis.
The United States has been conducting <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-orders-troops-to-middle-east-to-counter-houthi-attacks" target="_blank" rel="noopener">weeks of airstrikes</a> on the Houthis in response to the group&#8217;s more than 100 attacks on international cargo ships, tankers, and naval vessels following Hamas’ October 7 assault on Israel. Since March, over 800 Houthi targets have been hit, resulting in the elimination of hundreds of fighters and leaders, and Houthi ballistic missile launches and suicide drone attacks are down 69% and 55% respectively, <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/us-strikes-kill-hundreds-houthi-fighters-hit-over-800-red-sea-targets-central-command" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Fox News reported</a>.

Benjamin Netanyahu and Israeli Air Force

Israel Bombs Yemen’s Capital Airport, ‘Fully Disabling’ Houthi Terrorist Base

Israel Defense Forces (IDF)

The Israeli Air Force coordinated with the United States to strike the Houthis in Yemen on Monday night after the terror group fired a ballistic missile at Israel’s largest airport on Sunday.
During the strike, about 20 Israeli Air Force fighter jets dropped 50 munitions on dozens of Houthi targets, according to the Israeli Defense Forces. The attack is Israel&#8217;s sixth airstrike on the Houthis since July 2024, in response to more than 400 attacks by the Iranian-backed group during the war,<a href="https://www.jpost.com/breaking-news/article-852751" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> the Jerusalem Post </a><a href="https://www.jpost.com/breaking-news/article-852751" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>. It is the first Israeli strike on the Houthis since President Donald Trump took office.
The United States has been conducting <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-orders-troops-to-middle-east-to-counter-houthi-attacks" target="_blank" rel="noopener">weeks of airstrikes</a> on the Houthis in response to the group’s more than 100 attacks on international cargo ships, tankers, and naval vessels following Hamas’ October 7 assault on Israel. Since March, over 800 Houthi targets have been hit, resulting in the elimination of hundreds of fighters and leaders, and Houthi ballistic missile launches and suicide drone attacks are down 69% and 55% respectively,<a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/us-strikes-kill-hundreds-houthi-fighters-hit-over-800-red-sea-targets-central-command" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> Fox News </a><a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/us-strikes-kill-hundreds-houthi-fighters-hit-over-800-red-sea-targets-central-command" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu oversaw the strike from Israel’s Air Force command center during the attack on the Houthi terrorists on Yemen&#8217;s coastline.
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/how-trump-and-rubio-put-america-first-in-100-days?author=Kassy+Akiva&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=4&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=How+Trump+And+Rubio+Put+America+First+In+100+Days" target="_blank" rel="noopener">HOW TRUMP AND RUBIO PUT AMERICA FIRST IN 100 DAYS</a>
The IDF said the strike was in response to repeated Houthi drone and missile attacks on Israel and its civilians. On Sunday, a Houthi missile landed near Israel’s Ben-Gurion Airport, injuring six people and halting flights. The IDF said the missile was not intercepted due to a technical malfunction, noting that their systems typically maintain a 95% success rate against missiles launched from Yemen.
Following the attack, the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-re-designates-the-houthis-as-a-terrorist-organization" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Houthis</a> pledged to “impose a comprehensive air blockade” on Israel by targeting its airports.
The counterstrike included attacks on terrorist infrastructure in the Hudaydah Port, which is used “for the transfer of Iranian weapons, military equipment, and other equipment intended for terrorist purposes,” according to the IDF.
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-to-world-stop-buying-iranian-oil-or-else?author=Kassy+Akiva&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=2&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Trump+To+World%3A+Stop+Buying+Iranian+Oil+—+Or+Else" target="_blank" rel="noopener">TRUMP TO WORLD: STOP BUYING IRANIAN OIL — OR ELSE</a>
“Over the past year and a half, the Houthi terrorist regime has been operating under Iranian direction and funding, in order to target the State of Israel and its allies, undermine regional stability, and disrupt global freedom of navigation,” the IDF said. “The IDF is determined to continue operating, at any distance, against all threats posed to the citizens of the State of Israel.”
The United States has also held Iran responsible for Houthi aggression. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/you-will-pay-the-consequence-pete-hegseth-warns-iran-over-lethal-support-to-houthis?author=Kassy+Akiva&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=0&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=%E2%80%98You+Will+Pay+The+Consequence%E2%80%99%3A+Pete+Hegseth+Warns+Iran+Over+Lethal+Support+To+Houthis" target="_blank" rel="noopener">warned</a> last week that Iran would “pay the consequence” for providing “lethal support” to the Houthis.
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-to-visit-saudi-arabia-qatar-and-uae-in-first-middle-east-trip-this-term?author=Kassy+Akiva&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=11&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Trump+To+Visit+Saudi+Arabia%2C+Qatar%2C+And+UAE+In+First+Middle+East+Trip+This+Term" target="_blank" rel="noopener">TRUMP TO VISIT SAUDI ARABIA, QATAR, AND UAE IN FIRST MIDDLE EAST TRIP THIS TERM</a>
In March, Trump declared that “Every shot fired by the Houthis will be looked upon, from this point forward, as being a shot fired from the weapons and leadership of IRAN.” He added that Iran would be held responsible and “suffer the consequences, and those consequences will be dire.”
The IDF also struck the &#8220;Bajil&#8221; Concrete Plant, east of the city of al-Hudaydah, which it says functions as a “significant economic resource for the Houthis” and is used for the construction of “underground tunnels and terrorist infrastructure for the terrorist regime.”
The strikes were meant to harm the Houthis’ economic and military buildup capabilities, the IDF said.

Israel Coordinates With United States To Counterstrike Houthis Following Airport Attack

Benjamin Netanyahu

Pete Hegseth

On Sunday morning, the Houthis in Yemen launched a missile targeting Israel’s largest airport, where hundreds of people waited to board planes out of Israel.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
The Houthi missile hit just 75 meters from Terminal 3 at Ben Gurion Airport, narrowly avoiding a direct strike that could have triggered a full-scale war.
This needs a powerful response. <a href="https://t.co/ySGvEmnshN">pic.twitter.com/ySGvEmnshN</a>
— Open Source Intel (@Osint613) <a href="https://twitter.com/Osint613/status/1918956243034513473?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 4, 2025</a></blockquote>
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The missile was the <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/05/04/world/middleeast/houthi-missile-tel-aviv-israel.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">fourth missile attack on Israel in 48 hours</a> from the Houthis; the other three were intercepted.
“Following the sirens that sounded a short while ago in a number of areas in Israel, a missile was launched from Yemen. Attempts were made to intercept the missile and the results of the interception are under review. Sirens were sounded in accordance with protocol,” Israel Defense Forces <a href="https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/407801" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announced.</a>
The missile exploded near the main international terminal of Ben Gurion airport. Three people were slightly injured.
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The massive crater created by the Houthi ballistic missile impact this morning near Ben Gurion International Airport in Central Israel. The missile impacted next to an access road outside the airport, with the crater measured to be 25 meters across and several meters deep,… <a href="https://t.co/VhmLvWNkmJ">pic.twitter.com/VhmLvWNkmJ</a>
— OSINTdefender (@sentdefender) <a href="https://twitter.com/sentdefender/status/1918940481842549211?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 4, 2025</a></blockquote>
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422 international flights were scheduled to leave Ben Gurion airport on Sunday, according to the Israel Airport Authority. Some flights were suspended.
Numerous airlines <a href="https://www.jpost.com/business-and-innovation/article-852539" target="_blank" rel="noopener">canceled their flights</a> into Israel for the next 24 hours, including United Airlines, Delta Airlines, Lufthansa, Air France, Air Canada, Japan’s Nippon Airways, Spain’s Air Europa, and British Airways.
Since the inauguration of President Trump, Israel has refrained from responding directly to the Houthi attacks, partly at his behest, but in the wake of the latest missile attack, Israeli officials are <a href="https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/defense-news/article-852529" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reportedly revising</a> their perspective.
“Saudi Arabia and the US say Iran has smuggled weapons &#8211; including drones, and cruise and ballistic missiles &#8211; to the Houthis during Yemen&#8217;s civil war in violation of a UN arms embargo,” the BBC <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-67614911" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> on March 25. “It says such missiles and drones have been used in attacks on Saudi Arabia, as well as its ally, the United Arab Emirates.
“The Houthis could not operate at this level without Iranian arms, training and intelligence,” Middle East specialist Dr Elisabeth Kendall of Cambridge University stated.
“Tehran has provided advanced drones, anti-ship cruise missiles, precision-strike ballistic missiles and medium-range missiles to the Houthis,” Reuters <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/iranian-hezbollah-commanders-help-direct-houthi-attacks-yemen-sources-say-2024-01-20/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">noted</a> in January 2024, then quoted an Iranian insider confessing, “The Revolutionary Guards have been helping the Houthis with military training (on advanced weapons). A group of Houthi fighters were in Iran last month and were trained in an IRGC base in central Iran to get familiar with the new technology and the use of missiles.”
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Serious incident in <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Israel?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Israel</a> today. A <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Houthis?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Houthis</a> missile hit near the main terminal at Ben Gurion Airport. The Houthis would not be able to fire this missile with this precision without <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Iran?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Iran</a> regime assistance. In recent months some Israeli officials have been calling for Israel to… <a href="https://t.co/LvHJuwDprT">pic.twitter.com/LvHJuwDprT</a>
— Jason Brodsky (@JasonMBrodsky) <a href="https://twitter.com/JasonMBrodsky/status/1918974563465019686?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 4, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Ballistic missile fired from Yemen hits Ben Gurion international airport or close by this morning. As well as decisive retaliation against Houthis, it’s time for their masters in Tehran to be taken out. <a href="https://t.co/9V4u0JI8OQ">pic.twitter.com/9V4u0JI8OQ</a>
— Rɪᴄʜᴀʀᴅ Kᴇᴍᴘ ⋁ (@COLRICHARDKEMP) <a href="https://twitter.com/COLRICHARDKEMP/status/1918927282938278231?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 4, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Here’s another clip of the missile strike at Ben Gurion Airport. This is from a security camera. The real culprit is not Yemen. It’s Iran. <a href="https://t.co/J7f7hJGX0M">pic.twitter.com/J7f7hJGX0M</a>
— Marc Zell (@GOPIsrael) <a href="https://twitter.com/GOPIsrael/status/1918933210701926405?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 4, 2025</a></blockquote>
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ISRAEL-YEMEN-PALESTINIAN-CONFLICT

Houthi Missile Hits Near Israel’s Largest Airport: ‘The Real Culprit Is Not Yemen. It’s Iran’

Ben Gurion Airport

Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth on Wednesday warned Iran against providing “lethal support” to the Ansar Allah terrorist organization, also known as the Houthis.
“We see your LETHAL support to The Houthis,” Hegseth <a href="https://x.com/SecDef/status/1917741093392707886" target="_blank" rel="noopener">posted on X</a>. “We know exactly what you are doing. You know very well what the U.S. Military is capable of — and you were warned. You will pay the CONSEQUENCE at the time and place of our choosing.”
It’s unclear what incident prompted Hegseth’s post. But on Monday, an encounter with the Houthis caused a $60 million U.S. F/A-18 fighter jet to slip off the hangar deck of the aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman and fall into the Red Sea. The jet was reportedly making a hard turn to evade Houthi fire. One sailor sustained a minor injury, <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2025/04/28/politics/us-navy-jet-overboard#:~:text=Truman%20aircraft%20carrier%20while%20it,the%20fighter%20jet%20falling%20overboard." target="_blank" rel="noopener">CNN reported</a>.
The warning comes amid weeks of American airstrikes <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/how-trump-and-rubio-put-america-first-in-100-days?author=Kassy+Akiva&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=0&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=How+Trump+And+Rubio+Put+America+First+In+100+Days" target="_blank" rel="noopener">on the Houthis</a> in response to the group’s more than 100 attacks on international cargo ships, tankers, and naval vessels following Hamas’ October 7 attack on Israel. Since March, over 800 Houthi targets have been hit, resulting in the elimination of hundreds of fighters and leaders, and Houthi ballistic missile launches and suicide drone attacks are down 69% and 55% respectively, <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/us-strikes-kill-hundreds-houthi-fighters-hit-over-800-red-sea-targets-central-command" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Fox News </a><a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/us-strikes-kill-hundreds-houthi-fighters-hit-over-800-red-sea-targets-central-command" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>.
Although the Trump administration is in active negotiations with Iran to create a new nuclear deal, President Donald Trump has made it very clear that the United States sees any attack by the Houthis as an attack by Iran.
In a follow-up post, Hegseth shared a screenshot of a Truth Social post from Trump in March where the president declared, “Every shot fired by the Houthis will be looked upon, from this point forward, as being a shot fired from the weapons and leadership of IRAN.” He added that Iran would be held responsible and “suffer the consequences, and those consequences will be dire.”
Trump pointed out that Iran often plays the “innocent victim” by attempting to publicly distance itself from the terror group that operates as their proxy. Trump accused Iran of &#8220;dictating every move, giving them weapons, supplying them with money and highly sophisticated Military equipment, and even so-called, &#8216;Intelligence.'&#8221;
Trump first designated the Houthis a foreign terror organization in the last weeks of his first term, but President Joe Biden rescinded the designation in February 2021. Trump <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/hegseth-sends-strong-message-iran-houthis-you-pay" target="_blank" rel="noopener">re-designated</a> the terror group after returning to the White House.

‘You Will Pay The Consequence’: Pete Hegseth Warns Iran Over Lethal Support To Houthis

President Donald Trump&#8217;s counter-terrorism operation has been humming in the first three months of his second administration, taking out 74 terrorist leaders who were planning attacks on United States soil, according to National Security Adviser Mike Waltz.
Among those neutralized in Trump&#8217;s airstrikes were terrorists from al-Qaeda, Al-Shabaab, and ISIS. None of the 74 terrorists taken out by Trump-approved strikes were being pursued by the Biden administration, Waltz told <a href="https://justthenews.com/government/security/wedtrump-has-killed-74-leaders-terror-groups-hoping-strike-us-homeland-mike" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Just The News</a>. Waltz said the Biden administration&#8217;s failure to find these terrorist leaders and its lack of border security created an &#8220;incredibly dangerous&#8221; situation that the Trump administration is seeking to fix.
“I can tell you, from ISIS to al-Qaeda, to groups like Al-Shabab, all have plots and plans to hit the homeland once again, And if you look under the Biden administration, with a wide-open border, that was incredibly dangerous,” he said. “President Trump has eliminated 74 named terrorist leaders that the Biden administration wasn&#8217;t going after. You add to that 45 Americans who are being held hostage by various regimes and groups around the world that he&#8217;s brought home and that is just an incredible achievement in just a couple of months.”
In March, a top ISIS leader was killed in a precision airstrike in Al Anbar Province, Iraq. A senior military leader of a terrorist group affiliated with al-Qaeda was taken out in a separate strike in Syria in February, and on February 1, a U.S. Africa Command operation took out 13 high-ranking Islamic State operatives, along with an attack planner.
&#8220;Americans should sleep better at night,&#8221; Waltz added. &#8220;We&#8217;re only three months in, and look at the results President Trump is getting. The mainstream media doesn&#8217;t want to talk about those.&#8221;
Trump has also ramped up strikes against Houthi terrorists in the Middle East, vowing to protect U.S. military and commercial ships. On Tuesday, Trump <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-orders-troops-to-middle-east-to-counter-houthi-attacks" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announced</a> that he was ordering more U.S. forces &#8220;equipped for combat into the Middle East to enhance the defensive capabilities available to United States forces and facilitate necessary military actions.&#8221;
The continued pressure on the Houthis — and other radical Islamic terrorists in the Middle East — comes as the Trump administration is also seeking to negotiate a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/heres-what-you-need-to-know-about-saturdays-nuclear-talks-between-the-u-s-and-iran" target="_blank" rel="noopener">nuclear deal</a> with Iran, which funds the Houthis. The president is hoping to bring more stability to the Middle East after Hamas terrorists attacked Israel on October 7, 2023, killing more than 1,200 people and taking hundreds hostage.

U.S. airstrikes

Trump Strikes Have Killed 74 Terrorist Leaders Planning Attacks On U.S. Soil: Mike Waltz

Al Qaeda

Mike Waltz

Military

Politics

Radical Islamic Terror

Trump Administration

In a <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefings-statements/2025/04/text-of-a-letter-from-the-president-to-the-speaker-of-the-house-of-representatives-and-the-president-pro-tempore-of-the-senate/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">letter</a> released on Tuesday to House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) and Senate President Pro Tempore Charles Grassley (R-IA), President Donald Trump stated that he had directed the Department of Defense to deploy additional forces equipped for combat into the Middle East to counter Houthi attacks on American shipping.
In the letter, dated March 28, Trump noted that he was following his duty to keep Congress fully informed, consistent with the War Powers Resolution.
He started by pointing out that the Houthis in Yemen had “perpetrated piratical aggressions against shipping and have continued to threaten and attack United States forces in the airspace and waters in and around Yemen,” continuing, “I will no longer allow this band of pirates to threaten and attack United States forces and commercial vessels in one of the most important shipping lanes in the world.”
“Consistent with my commitment to defend United States forces and to uphold navigational rights and freedoms,” Trump wrote, he directed the Department of Defense to “move additional forces equipped for combat into the Middle East to enhance the defensive capabilities available to United States forces and facilitate necessary military actions. These forces include capabilities for air and missile defense of Israel and of locations hosting United States forces as well as fighter, support, and reconnaissance aircraft to enable strikes on Houthi targets.”
“Forces under United States Central Command have commenced large-scale strikes in Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen to eliminate the capabilities the Houthis use for attacks on United States forces and commercial ships in the Red Sea and surrounding waters,” he acknowledged. “United States Navy ships and aircraft, along with United States Air Force bombers, fighters, and unmanned aircraft, operating in and around Yemen, have participated in these strikes. Targets have included Houthi leadership and equipment, command and control facilities, and munitions storage facilities. We will continue these decisive military operations until the Houthi threat to United States forces and navigational rights and freedoms in the Red Sea and adjacent waters has abated.”
“I directed these actions consistent with my responsibility to protect Americans and United States interests abroad and in furtherance of United States national security and foreign policy interests, pursuant to my constitutional authority as Commander in Chief and Chief Executive to conduct United States foreign relations. I appreciate the support of the Congress in this action,” he concluded.
In addition to their <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/houthi-terrorists-strike-u-s-cargo-ship-carrying-humanitarian-aid-to-yemen" target="_blank" rel="noopener">attacks on American-owned ships</a>, the Houthis have shot down a number of Reaper drones with surface-to-air missiles, some Russian-made. “The strikes against MQ-9 Reaper drones impair US intelligence and targeting systems and help the Houthis shore up domestic and regional support. And, with the Houthis’ ties to China, Russia, and Iran, downed MQ-9 Reaper drones could end up in the hands of U.S. adversaries,” the Atlantic Council <a href="https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/blogs/menasource/houthi-strikes-on-us-mq9-reaper-drones/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">noted</a>. “Tactically, the Houthi shootdowns of MQ-9 drones primarily aim to blind the US intelligence and targeting systems. &#8230; Russia has significantly deepened <a href="https://gulfif.org/russian-support-for-yemens-houthi-movement/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">political engagements</a> with the Houthis &#8230; Beijing seems to have intensified engagement with the Houthis since mid-November 2023.”

US-POLITICS-TRUMP-EASTER-EGG ROLL

Trump Orders Troops To Middle East To Counter Houthi Attacks

Department of Defense

Drones

Executive

A Chinese satellite company linked to the communist government is aiding the Houthis with their attempted attacks on US vessels by giving them imagery the Houthis can use for targeting.
“We can confirm the reporting that Chang Guang Satellite Technology Co., Ltd. is directly supporting Iran-backed Houthi terrorist attacks on U.S. interests,” State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce <a href="https://www.state.gov/briefings/department-press-briefing-april-17-2025/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> on Thursday. “Their actions and Beijing’s support of the company, even after our private engagements with them, is yet another example of China’s empty claims to support peace.”
“We urge our partners to judge the Chinese Communist Party and Chinese companies on their actions, not their empty words,” she continued. “Restoring freedom of navigation in the Red Sea is a priority to President Trump. Beijing should take this priority seriously when considering any future support of CGSTL. The United States will not tolerate anyone providing support to foreign terrorist organizations, such as the Houthis.”
“The United States has raised our concerns privately numerous times to the Chinese government on Chang Guang Satellite Technology Co Ltd’s role in supporting the Houthis in order to get Beijing to take action,” a senior State Department official said, according to the <a href="https://www.ft.com/content/628b404b-2a24-4853-8f3c-9caad408ef8f" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Financial Times</a>. The official added that China had “ignored” those concerns.
“Chang Guang is one of a handful of ‘ostensibly’ commercial Chinese satellite companies that are in fact deeply embedded in the military-civil fusion ecosystem, supplying global surveillance capabilities to both civilian and military customers,” James Mulvenon, an expert on Chinese military and intelligence services, asserted.
“Under China’s military-civil fusion programme, companies must share technology with the PLA when ordered by the government,” the Financial Times noted. Matthew Bruzzese, a China defense expert, said CGSTL had “close connections” to the Chinese Communist government and the country’s military.
China helps the Houthis by buying vast amounts of Iranian oil, the Atlantic Council <a href="https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/blogs/new-atlanticist/china-is-supporting-the-houthis-heres-how-the-trump-administration-can-respond/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">pointed out</a> in January, adding, “China is Iran’s biggest customer, with more than 90 percent of Iran’s exports going to China in 2024. As a result of these exports, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/irans-revolutionary-guards-extend-control-over-tehrans-oil-exports-sources-say-2024-12-18/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reportedly</a> received as much as half of the fifty billion dollars in oil revenue that Iran earned last year. In turn, the IRGC uses its funds to support its proxies, including Hezbollah, Hamas, and the Houthis.”

China Launches 18 Satellites From Hainan Commercial Spacecraft Launch Site

China-Linked Satellite Company Helping Houthis Launch ‘Attacks On U.S. Interests’

China

Communist China

Satellites

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