INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Iran has brokered ongoing secret talks between Russia and Yemen&s Houthi rebels to transfer anti-ship missiles to the militant group, three
Western and regional sources said, a development that highlights Tehran&s deepening ties to Moscow.Seven sources told Reuters that Russia
has yet to decide to transfer the Yakhont missiles & also known as P-800 Oniks & which experts said would allow the militant group to more
accurately strike commercial vessels in the Red Sea and increase the threat to the United States and European warships defending them.The
Wall Street Journal reported in July that Russia was considering sending the missiles
Iran&s role as an intermediary has not been previously reported.The Houthis have launched repeated drone and missile strikes on ships in the
crucial Red Sea shipping channels since November to show support for Palestinians in the Gaza war with Israel.They have sunk at least two
vessels and seized another, disrupting global maritime trade by forcing shipping firms to divert cargos and, according to industry sources,
driven up insurance costs for ships plying the Red Sea.In response, the United States and Britain have struck Houthi positions but have
failed to stop the group&s attacks.Two regional officials aware of the talks said that the Houthis and Russians met in Tehran at least twice
this year and that the talks to provide dozens of the missiles, which have a range of about 300 km, were ongoing with further Tehran
meetings expected in coming weeks.Russia has previously supplied the Yakhont missile to Iran-backed Hezbollah.One of the sources said the
talks started under Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, who died in a helicopter crash in May.Russia is negotiating with the Houthis for the
transfer of Yakhont supersonic anti-ship missiles,& said a Western intelligence source
&The Iranians are brokering the talks but do not want to have their signature over it.Neither Iran&s U.N
mission nor the Russian Defense Ministry responded to requests for comment.We have no knowledge of what you have mentioned,& said Mohamed
Abdel-Salam, the official spokesman for Yemen&s Houthis.A senior United States official declined to name the specific systems that could be
transferred but confirmed that Russia has been discussing supplying missiles to the Houthis, calling the development &very worrisome.A
United States Defense Department official said any efforts to bolster the Houthis& capabilities would &undermine the shared international
interest in global freedom of navigation and stability in the Red Sea and broader Middle East.Russia-Iran LinksRussia and Iran have been
nurturing closer military ties amid Russia&s war in Ukraine
Tehran has allegedly transferred ballistic missiles to Moscow for use against Ukraine, the United States said earlier this month.One
motivation for Moscow to arm the Houthis, three sources said, is the possibility that Western states could decide to allow Ukraine to use
their weapons to strike farther into Russian territory.The senior United States official said the Russia-Houthi talks &seem to be related
to our posture in Ukraine and what we&re willing or not willing to do& regarding Kyiv&s requests for the lifting of restrictions on its use
of long-range United States -supplied weapons to strike targets deep inside Russia.Russian President Vladimir Putin warned in June that
Moscow could send advanced long-range weapons & similar to those the United States and its allies give Ukraine & to the West&s adversaries
around the world.The Yakhont is considered one of the world&s most advanced anti-ship missiles, designed to skim the sea&s surface to avoid
detection at more than twice the speed of sound, making it difficult to intercept.The post Iran brokering talks to send advanced Russian
missiles to Yemen&s Houthis first appeared on Ariana News.
