WW3 panic as Putin moves to arm Middle East militants with anti-ship missiles | World | News
Russia is planning to arm Yemen’s Houthis militants with advanced anti-ship missiles that could blow up Western ships in the Red Sea and escalate the crisis in the Middle East.
The Middle Eastern rebels, which are already backed by Iran, have regularly targeted US and UK ships moving through the crucial shipping route. The Houthis have been attacking shipping in the Red Sea for eight months in a show of solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza. At least 30 ships have been damaged, and two have sunk in the attacks so far.
However, Vladimir Putin could soon exploit the Houthis’ anti-Western anger to carry out even more devastating strikes against their common enemy. The US intelligence report claims the Russian weapon transfers would be a retaliation for the US backing Ukraine‘s strikes inside Russian territory with American weapons, according to the Wall Street Journal.
Last month, Vladimir Putin explicitly warned that Moscow would soon provide weapons to US adversaries if the White House allowed Ukraine to hit Russian territory.
During a forum in St Petersburg, President Putin said: “The response can be asymmetrical, and we will think about that.”
Two US intelligence officials revealed that Houthi representatives have been seen in Russia in recent weeks.
A decision by Moscow to arm the Houthis would mark a significant escalation in its confrontation with the West, which has been largely contained to Ukraine to date. The weapons deal could open a new front in the Middle East, amid growing fears of a global conflict breaking out between the West and Russia.
Moscow has already sparked concern among US officials after solidifying ties with North Korea and Iran and securing China’s help to boost the Russian defense industry.
A Russian-backed Houthi militia could wreak havoc against the US.
Behnam Ben Taleblu, a senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies think tank, said: “The Houthis have the most robust antiship capabilities among Iran’s regional proxy network. But Russian antiship weapons would represent a qualitative leap and add more teeth to the existing Houthi maritime threat.”
The leading US commander in the Middle East sent a confidential letter this week warning that the US is failing to deter Red Sea attacks on shipping. General Erik Kurilla warned: “US service members will die if we continue going this way.”
Meanwhile, earlier today, the Houthi rebels claimed responsibility for a ‘terror attack’ near the US embassy in Israel.
The attack on Tel Aviv left one person dead and at least ten injured.
The Israeli military spokesman Daniel Hagari said the Houthi drone was detected by air defences, but an “error” occurred and “there was no interception”.
The Houthis claimed their newest drones can bypass Israel‘s aerial defence systems.
