Yemen : Sources Reveal Secret Understandings Between Houthis, Russia, and China Over Red Sea Passage

Muscat — Confidential sources familiar with communications between Yemen’s Houthi movement and both Russia and China have disclosed the existence of undisclosed understandings granting Moscow’s and Beijing’s vessels commercial and military alike safe passage through the Red Sea and Bab al-Mandeb Strait. In return, the Houthis reportedly receive political backing and technical or logistical facilitation, either directly or via intermediaries.

The sources stressed that no conclusive evidence has yet emerged of direct Russian or Chinese military involvement in supporting the Houthis. 

However, they pointed to an “unspoken political alignment” ensuring that ships linked to Moscow and Beijing are spared from Houthi attacks, in exchange for supportive or softened positions in the UN Security Council and access to dual-use technologies through networks of traders and intermediaries.

According to the sources, the Houthis are believed to have benefited from Russian technical and logistical assistance that helped improve the guidance systems of their drones. The group is said to be actively seeking to expand external technical support to bolster its military capabilities, particularly in unmanned aerial systems and air defense.

Iran has played a pivotal role in opening channels between the Houthis and Moscow. 

Its embassy in Russia facilitated the first visit of a Houthi delegation led by the group’s spokesperson, Mohammed Abdulsalam, in February 2015, followed by another in 2016 coordinated by the Iranian ambassador in Moscow.

More recently, Iran coordinated a Houthi delegation’s visit to Moscow in January 2024, during which the Iranian embassy reportedly arranged undisclosed meetings with Russian and Belarusian military officials. These meetings, sources said, resulted in secret deals aimed at strengthening Houthi air defense capabilities. 

Subsequent smuggled shipments were allegedly routed through Iran’s Bandar Abbas port to Somalia’s coastline before being transferred into Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen.

These revelations align with an April 26, 2025 report by U.S. outlet The War Zone, which highlighted the rapid advancement of the Houthis’ arsenal and their growing air defense capabilities.