Saudi Arabia prevented Russia's plans to arm the Houthis with anti-ship cruise missiles

Russian dictator Vladimir Putin is considering strengthening his support for the anti-Israeli and anti-Western coalition known as the Axis of Resistance. In particular, the Russian terrorist state has asked Saudi Arabia for permission to arm the Houthis with anti-ship cruise missiles.

Thus, Moscow wants to further strengthen military relations with Iran. This is stated in the article by Middle East Eye.

Representatives of the US Department of Defense are concerned that the escalation between Israel and Lebanon could further strengthen Iran's military cooperation with Russia. The fears are fueled by US intelligence, which claims that Russia is considering strengthening its support for the so-called Axis of Resistance in Iran.

In particular, Kremlin dictator Putin has considered providing the Houthis with anti-ship missiles. However, arms supplies to the Houthis are potentially a more sensitive issue than aid to Hezbollah because of Russia's attempts to win over the oil-rich Gulf states.

According to U.S. intelligence, Saudi Arabia's Prince Mohammed bin Salman intervened to prevent Putin from supplying the Houthis with missiles. The talks took place after Putin's visit to Saudi Arabia and the UAE in December 2023. According to Western media, Putin and Mohammed bin Salman agreed to "ease tensions" in the region.

Fabian Hinz, an expert on ballistic and cruise missiles at the International Institute for Strategic Studies, said that supply and demand coincide between the Houthis and Russia. The Houthis typically use drones and ballistic missiles to attack ships. Their cruise missile arsenal includes Iranian-made models. According to Hinz, the two most prominent Houthi demonstrations are the Quds and Al-Mandeb-2 missiles.

The expert also noted that Russia could supply the terrorists with the X-31 supersonic anti-ship missile, which is launched from the air but can be converted for ground launch and was widely exported, in particular to Venezuela and Yemen during the civil war.

To recap, another country has become concerned about the escalating conflict between Israel and Hezbollah. Saudi Arabia has called on its citizens to leave Lebanon. They are also banned from visiting the country from now on.

Earlier, the Ministries of Foreign Affairs of Germany and Canada appealed to their citizens in Lebanon to leave the country immediately. The Foreign Ministries of Canada and Germany cited the threat of an armed conflict.

As reported, Iran threatened Israel with a "war of annihilation" in the event of an Israeli attack on Lebanon. Tehran said it is considering "the full involvement of all resistance forces."

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