OAN Staff Blake Wolf
12:02 PM –Friday, April 18, 2025
The U.S. State Department has accused a Chinese satellite technology company of directly assisting the Houthis, an Islamist terrorist group, in targeting U.S. warships and merchant vessels in the Red Sea.
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U.S. officials stated that Chinese satellite company “Guang Satellite Technology” was providing the Houthis, who President Donald Trump has designated as a terrorist organization, with satellite imagery in its efforts to target U.S. and international ships.
“We can confirm the reporting that Chang Guang Satellite Technology Company Limited is directly supporting Iran-backed Houthi terrorist attacks on U.S. interests,” stated State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce.
“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 continued. “The fact that they continue to do this is unacceptable.”
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian claimed on Friday that he is “not familiar with the situation.” However, he also affirmed that China is committed to continuing “efforts conducive to regional peace and stability.”
“Since the escalations in the Red Sea situation, China has been playing a positive role in de-escalating the situation,” he continued. “Who is promoting talks for peace and deescalating the tensions, and who is imposing sanctions and pressure?”
The Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen have been firing on U.S. warships and over 100 merchant ships crossing through the Red Sea, citing their protest of the Israeli-Gaza war. Nevertheless, the United States has also retaliated, and continues to do so, with numerous airstrikes on the Houthis as well.
So far, the Houthis have been able to sink two merchant vessels, killing four sailors, while also reducing the amount of ships passing through the area — negatively affecting trade.
Additionally, a recent U.S. airstrike campaign targeted a key oil port controlled by the Houthis, killing over 70 people and injuring many more.
The now-destroyed port served as a critical hub for fuel shipments powering large areas of Yemen. The group later aired footage of the aftermath, showcasing lifeless corpses lying about — while denouncing the U.S. strike as a “completely unjustified aggression.”
“It targets a vital civilian facility that has served the Yemeni people for decades,” the group added.
Meanwhile, the U.S. Central Command responded, stating: “this strike was not intended to harm the people of Yemen,” while declining to comment on any possible civilian casualties.
“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 statement continued.
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