Western and regional security officials say that Iranian regime’s proxy forces are providing information to the Houthis, which the Yemeni rebels use for their missile and drone attacks on ships in the Red Sea.
According to The Wall Street Journal, these officials state that the information collected by a surveillance vessel under the control of Iranian regime’s proxy forces in the Red Sea is being transferred to the Houthis, who have recently used this data to attack commercial ships passing through the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait.
According to these officials, many ships moving through this strait turn off their tracking systems to avoid detection, but an Iranian ship stationed in the Red Sea enables precise missile and drone attacks by the Houthis.
The Iranian regime’s mission to the United Nations has not responded to The Wall Street Journal’s request for comment.
According to a Houthi spokesperson, the group does not rely on Iran for assistance in their attacks. However, a Western security official says that the Houthis do not have radar technology to target ships, and without assistance from the Iranian regime, their missiles cannot reach their targets.
The White House National Security Council has also not responded to The Wall Street Journal’s request for comment. Washington had previously stated that the Iranian regime enables the Houthi attacks on ships in the Red Sea but did not elaborate on Tehran’s involvement.
The Houthis claim that they carry out these attacks in retaliation for Israel’s attacks on Gaza, but the targeted ships have little or no connection to Israel.
The Pentagon recently unveiled a plan called “Operation Prosperity Guardian” to establish a multinational naval force to protect commercial ships in the Red Sea in response to the growing hostile activities by the Houthis.
Meanwhile, due to the current conditions, some of the world’s largest shipping companies, oil producers, and cargo owners are using alternative routes for cargo transportation, leading to an increase in oil prices and insurance rates.
