US Accuses Chinese Firm of Fueling Houthi Attacks as Airstrikes Rock Yemen

The U.S. State Department has accused a Chinese company of directly helping Iran-backed Houthi militants in Yemen by supplying satellite imagery used to target American and international ships in the Red Sea.

According to State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce, Chang Guang Satellite Technology Company Limited, which has links to China's People’s Liberation Army, has been providing crucial intel to the Houthis. The rebels have been launching a barrage of missile and drone attacks on commercial and military vessels since late 2023, all while trying to position themselves as champions for Palestinians amid the ongoing Gaza conflict.

This news broke just as U.S. airstrikes targeted a Houthi-controlled oil port in northwest Yemen, leaving at least 74 people dead and 171 wounded, according to Houthi sources. Thursday’s strikes, carried out by U.S. Central Command, marked the 34th day in a row of American military action against Houthi positions in Yemen.

The State Department’s Bruce didn’t hold back, declaring that "China consistently attempts to frame itself as a global peacemaker," yet Chinese companies continue to support regimes and proxy groups like Russia, North Korea, Iran, and, of course, the Houthis. She emphasized that the U.S. "will not tolerate anyone providing support to foreign terrorist organizations such as the Houthis." It’s not for lack of warning—Bruce noted American officials had already raised concerns with Beijing, but the assistance kept flowing.

The strikes on the Ras Isa Fuel Port weren’t just another round of explosions—they targeted a vital source of fuel, and by extension, revenue for the Houthi group. CENTCOM said the goal was to choke off the Houthis’ illegal funding streams that have kept their campaign going for over a decade. The operation sent massive fireballs lighting up the Yemeni night, and satellite images later revealed destroyed oil tanks and vehicles, with evidence of oil spilling into the Red Sea. Environmental disaster much?

CENTCOM stressed that the attack wasn’t meant to harm Yemeni civilians, but rather to undercut Houthi power and send a clear message to their Iranian backers. The command added that the world won’t turn a blind eye to the smuggling of fuel and weapons that props up terrorist activity in the region.

Meanwhile, the conflict kept rippling outward. On Friday, the Houthis fired a missile toward Israel, which the Israeli military intercepted—a reminder that these clashes are never just local news.

As the situation escalates, the U.S. continues to grapple with the complexity of the Red Sea, where instability threatens not just regional peace, but global economic security. And when a Chinese satellite company finds itself in the middle of this international drama, you know the plot has officially thickened.