AP reported on 27 October 2026 that a private geospatial intelligence firm found Russia‘s satellites had converged over Saudi targets before and after 40 strikes on Saudi Arabia carried out by the Houthis and Iran-affiliated Iraqi militias between 1 July and 19 October 2026.
In mid-September 2026, the Houthis hit Saudi Arabia’s King Fahd Air Base in Taif, damaging an Italian Air Force jet stationed there. Russian satellite activity over the base rose sharply in the days before and after the strike, the firm found.
Iranian advisers in the field analyzed the Russian intelligence and relayed it to the Houthis and the Iran-affiliated Iraqi militias. Iranian advisers on the ground in Yemen have also provided the Houthis with Russian satellite data directly for targeting, a senior Houthi leader said.
A similar satellite pattern was found over targets tied to a 15 October 2026 Houthi strike on the presidential palace in Aden and a nearby Saudi-led-coalition command center.
The same satellite pattern was also found over earlier Iranian strikes against United States forces in Saudi Arabia this year.
Efforts Categories: Russia’s Military Support of Houthis (the Yemen War); Russia’s Military Support of Iran (2026, wartime)
