{"id":12757,"date":"2026-10-31T08:31:17","date_gmt":"2026-10-31T08:31:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sotnews.agency\/?p=12757"},"modified":"2026-10-31T08:31:17","modified_gmt":"2026-10-31T08:31:17","slug":"are-houthis-using-russian-satellites-as-saudi-arabia-fends-off-strikes-houthis-news","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sotnews.agency\/?p=12757","title":{"rendered":"Are Houthis using Russian satellites as Saudi Arabia fends off strikes? | Houthis News"},"content":{"rendered":"
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An investigation has revealed that Russian satellites are assisting the Iran-aligned Houthis to strike Saudi Arabia\u2019s military and energy infrastructure, further upending global energy markets amid the US war on Iran.<\/p>\n

Hostilities<\/a> between the internationally recognised Yemeni government, which is backed by Saudi Arabia, and the Houthis have been ongoing since July and escalated in September when the rebel group seized full control of Yemen\u2019s Red Sea coast.<\/p>\n

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Last month, the Houthis also carried out a precision strike on pumping stations on Saudi Arabia\u2019s most important oil pipeline, the East-West pipeline. An investigation by Geneva-based private firm AURORAH GeoSignal Intelligence revealed that Russian satellites had been surveying the region days in advance to gather intelligence about the pipeline.<\/p>\n

With fighting for control of Yemen between the Houthis and the Saudi-backed Yemeni government continuing, how significant is Russia\u2019s support to the Houthis? Why can\u2019t Saudi Arabia, the most powerful of the Gulf states that is backed by the US, hold back a group of rebel fighters?<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s what we know:<\/p>\n

What did the investigation into the use of Russian satellites show?<\/h2>\n

As revealed by The Associated Press news agency this week, between July 1 and October 19, AURORAH Geosignal Intelligence examined 40 missile and drone attacks against Saudi Arabia by Yemen\u2019s Houthis and, in every case, found a pattern of Russian government and military satellites observing the targeted areas both before and after the attacks.<\/p>\n

Nawaf Obaid, founder of the geosignal intelligence firm, told Al Jazeera that by reconstructing Russia\u2019s military reconnaissance architecture, the group had identified individual satellites, calculated their orbital trajectories and then established observation opportunities and correlated their activity with military developments across Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, the UAE and Yemen.<\/p>\n

He said the satellites they identified include Russia\u2019s Bars-M military mapping satellites, Persona optical reconnaissance satellites, Lotos-S1 electronic intelligence satellites, Pion-NKS maritime reconnaissance systems and Kondor-FKA radar-imaging satellites. They also examined the EKS\/Tundra infrared early-warning constellation.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe critical finding was not the presence of individual Russian satellites, but the sequencing and integration of their complementary intelligence capabilities,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Obaid also confirmed to Al Jazeera that based on the findings, \u201cRussian military geospatial and signals intelligence has supported the Iranian-led intelligence architecture assisting Houthi operations in Yemen.\u201d<\/p>\n

He said the strongest operational example of this has been the Houthi offensive along Yemen\u2019s western coast<\/a> towards Bab al-Mandeb, where Russian-derived intelligence, Iranian command integration and local human intelligence all contributed to \u201cthe rapid deterioration of opposing Yemeni forces\u2019 battlefield coordination\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe assess that this intelligence relationship is also relevant to Houthi missile and drone targeting against Saudi Arabia. Russian military reconnaissance provides capabilities far beyond ordinary commercial satellite imagery, particularly when optical, radar and electronic intelligence are integrated,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe September attacks against Saudi Arabia\u2019s East-West Petroline illustrate the sophistication of the targeting problem,\u201d he said. That was when three pumping stations \u2013 PS8 at Afif, PS9 at Al-Dhekra and PS11 at Al-Mesba\u2019ah \u2013 were struck within the pipeline\u2019s \u201ccritical high-elevation western section\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u201cTheir selection reflected an understanding of the infrastructure\u2019s engineering vulnerabilities and strategic importance,\u201d he explained.<\/p>\n

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A satellite image shows the Saudi Arabia East-West pipeline, located across the Arabian Peninsula, before a strike that hit it in Saudi Arabia [File: Vantor\/Handout via Reuters]<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

How significant are these findings?<\/h2>\n

Brussels-based military analyst Elijah Magnier said AURORA\u2019s findings don\u2019t necessarily show the whole picture.<\/p>\n

\u201cInability to intercept an intelligence transmission doesn\u2019t establish who had access to the Russian satellite information, whether Russia deliberately shared it, or whether Iran obtained it independently,\u201d he said, adding that for this, there are four possible scenarios.<\/p>\n

\u201cFirst, Russia could have deliberately shared information with Iran,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe second is Iran obtained Russian satellite imagery through commercial channels\u2026 However, the Russian military\u2019s reconnaissance imagery is generally not publicly accessible, so the commercial Russian imagery would not necessarily establish Russian government involvement,\u201d he noted.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe third is Iran obtained information through another intermediary, so a third party could theoretically have supplied the intelligence originated from the Russian system, and there is no currently publicly verified evidence establishing such an arrangement,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n

But Obaid highlighted that distinguishing a Russian-supported intelligence architecture from proof that a particular Russian satellite supplied the targeting data for an individual Houthi strike is essential.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur assessment establishes the wider intelligence relationship; attribution of specific satellite-derived intelligence to individual missile launches requires additional corroboration,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Three officials, including one from Saudi Arabia and another in the top ranks of the Houthis, as well as a private intelligence analyst, confirmed to The Associated Press that the Houthis and other Iranian allies have benefitted from Russian intelligence, as well as Chinese capabilities.<\/p>\n

Last week, the Saudi Foreign Ministry\u2019s deputy minister for public diplomacy, Rayed Krimly, told reporters that the Houthis receive intelligence from Russia and China.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe do discuss these matters regularly with China and Russia, and we will continue to do so,\u201d he had said.<\/p>\n

How important is access to Russian satellites for Iran and the Houthis?<\/h2>\n

Russian officials have not yet commented on AURORAH\u2019s findings, but in recent years, technological and military ties between Russia and Iran have deepened significantly, anchored by joint strategic agreements, space cooperation, and the exchange of defence technology.<\/p>\n

Ahmed Nagi, a senior analyst on Yemen at the International Crisis Group, said Moscow reportedly supporting Tehran\u2019s allies like the Houthis is particularly significant because it would mean a shift in the trajectory of the Yemeni conflict.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is increasingly moving beyond its domestic dimensions and becoming intertwined with wider regional dynamics. Supporting the Houthis is no longer a matter of interest to Iran alone. We are now seeing other actors, particularly Russia, providing Iran with intelligence support and sophisticated weaponry, from which the Houthis are also benefitting,\u201d he told Al Jazeera.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe question is whether this support is being channelled directly to the Houthis or indirectly through Iran. I don\u2019t think that distinction is important. The bottom line is that the Houthis are benefitting from increasingly diversified external support involving several countries,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n

But Nagi warned that Russian support to the Houthis has implications for both the Yemeni government and Saudi Arabia.<\/p>\n

\u201cRussia\u2019s role also extends into the diplomatic arena, where Moscow has taken positions at the United Nations Security Council opposing stronger international action against the Houthis. Taken together, these developments point to a broader expansion of Russian engagement with the group,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n

Where have the Houthis struck in Saudi Arabia?<\/h2>\n

Yemen\u2019s Houthis have attacked multiple locations across Saudi Arabia, spanning from the eastern and western coasts to the capital and southern regions, since fighting escalated over the summer.<\/p>\n

In a statement on X on Friday, Houthi spokesperson Yahya Saree claimed attacks have hit vital commercial and military infrastructure, which spanned Saudi Arabia from its east and west coasts to Riyadh and the southern region of Najran.<\/p>\n

Saree said the Houthis targeted the Ras Tanura oil refinery with a ballistic missile, an Aramco facility in Abqaiq with a missile, King Khalid International airport in Riyadh with multiple missiles, King Fahd International airport in Dammam with a drone, the Rabigh oil refinery with a ballistic missile and a Saudi military headquarters in the Najran region.<\/p>\n

There has, however, been no independent corroboration of these specific claims.<\/p>\n

However, Houthi attacks generally have resulted in multiple deaths and injuries in Saudi Arabia. A severe strike<\/a> on King Khalid International airport in Riyadh earlier this month killed at least 12 people and injured 300, according to Saudi officials. The attacks led to the airport\u2019s temporary closure, forcing the postponement of Saudi Arabia\u2019s flagship investment conference until 2027 and disrupting travel plans for thousands of passengers.<\/p>\n

The airport has since reopened, and flights resumed on Sunday with the Houthis warning travellers to avoid the facility, calling it a \u201cmilitary target\u201d.<\/p>\n

An October 21 attack on King Fahd International airport in Dammam also killed two people and wounded eight.<\/p>\n

Why are the Houthis so well-armed?<\/h2>\n

Since seizing Yemen\u2019s capital, Sanaa, and swaths of northwest Yemen in 2014, the Houthis have demanded to be recognised as the legitimate governing authority in Yemen.<\/p>\n

After taking the capital and state institutions, the Houthis gained access to large arsenals belonging to the Yemeni military and formed an alliance with forces loyal to former President Ali Abdullah Saleh.<\/p>\n

The internationally recognised government decamped to Aden.<\/p>\n

Once regarded as an armed group without many resources, analysts say this has changed since the Houthis seized Yemen state arsenals, received external backing from Iran, and evolved their military capabilities.<\/p>\n

Saj Ahmad, chief analyst at StrategicAero Research, told Al Jazeera that besides learning the art of weapons assembly, the Houthis have scoured international black markets for components and carried out many military engagements to unearth a clandestine, but robust, market for sales, too.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo while the Houthis have been expending their cache of weapons, they have been developing and expanding too \u2013 and we have seen that with their long-range missile attacks as far away as Israel \u2013 so targeting high-value targets in Saudi Arabia in contrast is very easy pickings for them,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

When a truce between the Houthis and the Saudi-led coalition took effect in 2022 and continued until earlier this year, many within the Yemeni government expected it to pave the way for a political settlement, Nagi said.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Houthis, meanwhile, were preparing for the possibility that the conflict would resume. They used the relative lull to strengthen their military position. The extent of that preparation has become evident over the past few weeks. Their forces have demonstrated considerable military readiness, enabling them to advance across several areas and inflict significant setbacks on Yemeni government forces,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

According to Magnier, the Houthis\u2019 sophisticated missile propulsion and guidance technology remains heavily dependent on foreign expertise, however.<\/p>\n

The Houthis receive substantial backing, training and weaponry from Iran. This includes Iranian-origin and-derived ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, and one-way attack drones \u2013 such as the Palestine-2 and Toufan systems \u2013 although Iran officially denies supplying them.<\/p>\n

Besides Iran, Magnier said Iran\u2019s ally in Lebanon, Hezbollah, has also contributed with military training and organisational experience. \u201cAll the experience gathered from fighting Israel was transformed and offered to Ansar Allah [the name the Houthis are also known by] in Yemen,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe cooperation has also extended to Iraqi armed groups, with the exchange involving military personnel and again operational experience in a vast area,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis combination [of domestic expansion and foreign dependence] helps explain why years of Saudi-led military operation, followed by American and Israeli strikes, have failed to eliminate its military capability,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n

How has Saudi Arabia struck back at the Houthis?<\/h2>\n

The Saudi-led coalition has retaliated against Houthi targets in Yemen through air attacks and military operations.<\/p>\n

On Friday, the coalition in Yemen reported that it intercepted a drone launched by the Houthis towards Saudi Arabia\u2019s Mecca region.<\/p>\n

The drone was \u201cintercepted and destroyed\u201d on Friday morning, coalition spokesman Turki al-Malki said in a social media post. It was also reported that a missile aimed at western Saudi Arabia was earlier brought down, as hostilities between the Riyadh-backed Yemen government and Iran-backed Houthis continue to escalate.<\/p>\n

On Thursday, the Saudi-led coalition said it destroyed a ballistic missile fired by the Houthis towards the kingdom\u2019s eastern region. It later said two ballistic missiles launched towards the Saudi capital, Riyadh, were also intercepted and destroyed.<\/p>\n

Al-Malki reported early on Friday that the coalition\u2019s air defences intercepted and destroyed a Houthi cruise missile which had targeted western Saudi Arabia.<\/p>\n

Al-Maliki said on Monday its forces also destroyed four ballistic missile launchers and five tunnels used by the Houthis to store missiles.<\/p>\n

In a post on X, he had said coalition forces attacked a missile depot, adding that the operation \u201cfocused on cutting off Houthi militia supply lines between areas under their control\u201d.<\/p>\n

The operation also targeted Houthi \u201cfortifications, gatherings of their members, and their military equipment along the front lines inside Yemen\u201d.<\/p>\n

Al-Maliki said on Monday that Saudi air defences \u201cintercepted and destroyed a ballistic missile launched by the terrorist Houthi militia towards Riyadh\u201d.<\/p>\n

This month, Yemen\u2019s government forces launched the \u201cOperation Yemen Dawn\u201d counteroffensive, aimed at recapturing territory held by the Houthis.<\/p>\n

On Sunday, the Saudi-led military coalition said air defences intercepted at least 10 ballistic missiles.<\/p>\n

The kingdom\u2019s civil defence agency said two people were injured in the south by falling debris, and reported damage to several buildings and vehicles.<\/p>\n

Why are the Saudis struggling to contain the Houthis?<\/h2>\n

While high-level diplomatic talks such as recent meetings in Tehran involving Saudi and Iranian officials have aimed to de-escalate tensions, analysts say the Houthis are actively testing the limits of Saudi military restraint and air defence capabilities, transforming the Yemeni conflict into a wider national security test for Riyadh.<\/p>\n

According to Magnier, the Saudis have been struggling because \u201cnobody wins a war by air bombing.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe air bombing helps for the ground forces to capitalise on what the air force is doing and opens the road for the ground forces. If the ground forces are not sufficiently motivated to advance and offer sacrifices and accept large losses, then there is no point in wondering why the Saudis are struggling,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Crisis group\u2019s Nagi shared a similar view. He added that the Saudi-backed Yemeni government camp has also remained fragmented, poorly organised and militarily unprepared.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere was an expectation that quick fixes, particularly intensified air strikes, could produce rapid gains. But the government and its allies had not developed the military capabilities or organisation necessary to sustain a confrontation with the Houthis,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

According to analyst Saj Ahmad, despite the billions spent on US and European weapons, the Saudis have failed to make effective use of their military capabilities.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Houthis have learned a great deal from Iran\u2019s military strategists as well as those militias in and across Iraq that battled US troops for years after the fall of Saddam Hussein. And in that intervening period, the Saudi regime has made big weapon buys but has little skill in how to use or deploy them and has even less capability to effectively combat a guerrilla group like the Houthis,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cWith Riyadh under siege, I would not be surprised if the Saudis eventually leave this combat zone, like the UAE did,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n

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An investigation has revealed that Russian satellites are assisting the Iran-aligned Houthis to strike Saudi Arabia\u2019s military and energy infrastructure, further upending global energy markets amid the US war on Iran. Hostilities between the internationally recognised Yemeni government, which is backed by Saudi Arabia, and the Houthis have been ongoing since July and escalated in…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":12758,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rop_custom_images_group":[],"rop_custom_messages_group":[],"rop_publish_now":"initial","rop_publish_now_accounts":{"facebook_2277560469115098_106292521332774":"","twitter_aToxNzczMzI3Njk4OTg4ODUxMjAxOw==_1773327698988851200":""},"rop_publish_now_history":[],"rop_publish_now_status":"pending","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_templately_pack_id":"","_templately_imported_at":"","_templately_source":"","_templately_import_session_id":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[11],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-12757","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-international-news"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t