US blames Chinese satellite firm for supporting Houthis attacks on American interests

U.S. accuses Chinese firm of aiding Huthi attacks, strikes port.

A Chinese satellite company is supporting attacks by Yemen's Houthis on American interests, the State Department said Thursday, as the US military announced strikes on a fuel port it said was used by the rebels.

The Houthis began targeting shipping in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden in November 2023, claiming to act in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza, and American forces have been hammering them with strikes in a bid to stop the attacks.

"Chang Guang Satellite Technology Company... is directly supporting Iran-backed Houthi terrorist attacks on US interests," State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce told journalists.

"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," she said.

Bruce did not initially provide details on the nature of the company's support for the rebels, but later referred to "a Chinese company providing satellite imagery to the Houthis."

Chang Guang Satellite Technology Company was sanctioned by Washington in 2023 for allegedly providing high-resolution imagery to Russian private military company Wagner, which played a major role in Moscow's war against Ukraine but has since been disbanded.

Houthi attacks have prevented ships from passing through the Suez Canal -- a vital route between Asia and Europe that normally carries about 12 percent of world shipping traffic -- forcing many companies into a costly detour around the tip of southern Africa.

US President Donald Trump's administration launched a new round of military action against the Houthis starting on March 15, and the US Central Command (CENTCOM) announced Thursday that American strikes had destroyed the Ras Issa fuel port in Yemen.

"US forces took action to eliminate this source of fuel for the Iran-backed Houthi terrorists and deprive them of illegal revenue that has funded Houthi efforts to terrorize the entire region for over 10 years," CENTCOM said in a statement.

"The objective of these strikes was to degrade the economic source of power of the Houthis, who continue to exploit and bring great pain upon their fellow countrymen," it added.

The United States first began conducting strikes against the Houthis under the Biden administration, and Trump has vowed that military action against the rebels would continue until they are no longer a threat to shipping.