Chinese firm aiding Houthi attacks on US vessels, as airstrikes kill 74

The State Department has accused a Chinese firm of directly aiding Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen by providing satellite imagery used to target U.S. and international vessels in the Red Sea.

The news comes as U.S. airstrikes targeting an oil port held by Yemen’s Houthi rebels killed 74 people and wounded 171 others on Thursday, the group said.

State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce said that Chang Guang Satellite Technology Company Limited is helping the Houthis, who have been attacking commercial and military ships in the area since late 2023 as a means of showing solidarity with Palestinians amid the war in Gaza. The Houthi attacks have included missile strikes, drone assaults and attempted hijackings.

Chang Guang Satellite Technology Company Limited is a commercial group with ties to the People’s Liberation Army.

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"We can confirm the reporting that Chang Guang Satellite Technology Company Limited is directly supporting Iran-backed Houthi terrorist attacks on U.S. interests," State Department spokesperson 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.

"The fact that they continue to do this is unacceptable," she said, adding that the U.S. "will not tolerate anyone providing support to foreign terrorist organizations such as the Houthis."

Bruce said the assistance by the firm to the Houthis had continued even though the United States had engaged with Beijing on the issue.

President Donald Trump has  prioritized addressing instability in the Red Sea, citing ongoing concerns that the Houthis remain a threat to the global economy.

The news comes as U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) launched strikes on the Houthi controlled Ras Isa Fuel Port in Northwest Yemen on Thursday, marking the 34th consecutive day of U.S. strikes on Houthi targets in Yemen. 

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The strikes were aimed at eliminating the Houthis' fuel, a key source of revenue for the group. 

The strikes, which sent massive fireballs shooting into the night sky, represented a major escalation for the American campaign by hitting oil facilities for the first time.

CENTCOM said that "U.S. forces took action to eliminate this source of fuel for the Iran-backed Houthi terrorists and deprive them of illegal revenue that has funded Houthi efforts to terrorize the entire region for over 10 years."

"The Houthis, their Iranian masters, and those who knowingly aid and abet their terrorist actions should be put on notice that the world will not accept illicit smuggling of fuel and war material to a terrorist organization," Central Command said. 

"This strike was not intended to harm the people of Yemen, who rightly want to throw off the yoke of Houthi subjugation and live peacefully," it added. It did not acknowledge any casualties from the attack or offer any damage assessment.

Satellite images from Planet Labs PBC and analyzed by The Associated Press Friday showed destroyed tanks and vehicles at the port as oil leaks into the Red Sea.

The Iranian-backed Houthis later Friday launched a missile toward Israel that was intercepted, the Israeli military said. Sirens sounded in Tel Aviv and other areas.

Reuters and the Associated Press contributed to this report.