The US State Department on Thursday accused a Chinese firm, Chang Guang Satellite Technology, of directly supporting attacks on US interests by Iran-backed Houthi fighters and called this “unacceptable”.
Earlier, the Financial Times cited US officials as saying that the satellite company, linked to China’s military, was supplying Houthi rebels with imagery to target US warships and international vessels in the Red Sea.
“We can confirm the reporting that Chang Guang Satellite Technology Company Limited is directly supporting Iran-backed Houthi terrorist attacks on US interests,” State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce told a regular news briefing. “China consistently attempts … to frame itself as a global peacemaker … however, it is clear that Beijing and China-based companies provide key economic and technical support to regimes like Russia, North Korea and Iran and its proxies,” she said.
Bruce said the help by the firm to the Houthis had continued even though the United States had engaged with Beijing on the issue. “The fact that they continue to do this is unacceptable,” she said.
The spokesman for China’s Washington embassy, Liu Pengyu, said he was not familiar with the situation, so had no comment. The firm did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
China is Washington’s main strategic rival and the latest charge comes as the two economic and military superpowers are in a major standoff over trade in which US President Donald Trump has dramatically ramped up tariffs on Chinese goods.
Loading video
The United States’ military, meanwhile, struck the western Yemeni fuel port of Ras Isa on Thursday, the US Central Command said in a post on social media, citing the “destruction” of the port. “Today, US forces took action to eliminate this source of fuel for the Iran-backed Houthi terrorists,” it said in the post, adding that the aim was to hit the Houthis economically and not harm the people of Yemen.
Also on Thursday, the US unveiled sanctions on a Yemen bank, including its key leaders, citing its support for Houthis in that country. The designation of the International Bank of Yemen (IBY) complements a government effort “to stop Iran-backed Houthi attacks against commercial shipping in the Red Sea”, said the US Treasury Department. Houthi rebel forces launched an armed rebellion in 2014 after years of protesting against discrimination and marginalisation, seizing control of the capital Sanaa and several other provinces.
Since November 2023, Houthi forces have targeted shipping lanes using missiles and drones in what they say is solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza, where a brutal war has raged since October that year. “Financial institutions like IBY are critical to the Houthis’ efforts to access the international financial system and threaten both the region and international commerce,” said Deputy Treasury Secretary Michael Faulkender in a statement. The official said the US government was “committed to working with the internationally recognised government of Yemen.”
