Washington is concerned about the possibility that Russia may start supplying Yemeni Houthis with their own anti-ship missiles. This was stated by US Special Envoy to Yemen Tim Landerking, Bloombergreports , UNN writes.
Details
The diplomat emphasized that any arms cooperation between the Houthis and the Russians threatens stability in the region.
This is [the talks between Russia and the Houthis - ed. Any arms cooperation between the Houthis and the Russians would be very destabilizing
It is noted that Russian representatives and the Houthis have held at least two meetings in Tehran this year, and are planning further talks.
Meanwhile, the Russian Ministry of Defense did not respond to a request for comment.
For reference
The P-800 Onyx is a supersonic anti-ship missile with a range of 300 km. Access to the weapon will significantly increase the Houthis' ability to threaten US and allied warships patrolling the area, while allowing the group to fire on ground targets in Saudi Arabia, experts say.
To recap
As Reuters journalists found out, Iran mediated secret talks between Russia and Yemeni Houthi rebels on the transfer of anti-ship missiles to this militant group.