Iran was a mediator in secret negotiations between Russia and the Yemeni Houthis on the transfer of Russian P-800 “Onyx” anti-ship missiles to them.
This is reported by Reuters with reference to sources.
We are talking about the export version of the “Onyx” — Yakhont anti-ship missiles. The range of such a missile reaches 300 kilometers.
Yemenʼs Houthis want these missiles to target commercial vessels in the Red Sea with greater precision and increase the threat to American and European warships protecting commercial shipping. However, the Kremlin has not yet made a final decision on the transfer of “Onyx” missiles.
The Houthis and the Russians have met in the Iranian capital, Tehran, at least twice this year. Negotiations are ongoing and further meetings are expected in Tehran in the coming weeks.
Fabian Hinz, a ballistic missile expert at the International Institute for Strategic Studies, notes that the “Onyx” is a much more powerful system than the anti-ship ballistic and cruise missiles the Houthis currently use. And Russia will need help with the technical aspects of delivering the missiles: how to transfer and launch them without the US detecting and destroying them. In addition, the Yemeni Houthis will have to be taught to use them.
A senior U.S. official said on condition of anonymity that a U.S. delegation discussed Russia-Houthi talks with their Saudi counterparts during a visit to Saudi Arabia this summer, and that Washington had raised the issue with Moscow.
"The Saudis are alarmed. We are alarmed, other regional partners are also alarmed. The Houthis are already doing enough damage in the Red Sea, and this will allow them to do more,” he said.
Representatives of Saudi Arabia conveyed their concerns directly to the Russians.
What preceded
In the Red Sea, since November 2023, Iran-backed Yemeni Houthis have continued to attack merchant vessels allegedly linked to Israel. Ships in the Gulf of Aden, through which an important trade route passes, are hit by missile and drone strikes.
In January 2024, the United States and Great Britain launched a military operation against the Houthis in the Red Sea, and in February, the European Union also launched its operation against them. At the end of February, the first ship sank in the Red Sea due to attacks by the Yemeni Houthis. At the beginning of March, it became known that the shipʼs crew members were killed for the first time due to an attack by the Yemeni Houthis.
In mid-March, the US held secret talks with Iran, trying to convince Tehran to use its influence on the Yemeni Houthis to stop attacking ships in the Red Sea.
Also, the Yemeni Houthis twice attacked a ship of Ukraine, which is used by Poland.
- Last November, Reuters wrote that the Lebanese Hezbollah group bought Russian “Onyx” missiles in Syria.