Yemen Monitor – Newsroom:
General Michael Kurilla, commander of U.S. Central Command, announced that U.S. forces killed a Houthi expert in drone technology inside Iraq in April 2024, along with a member of Lebanon’s Hezbollah. Both individuals were providing technical support to Iraq’s Kataib Hezbollah.
During a hearing before the House Armed Services Committee on Tuesday, Kurilla confirmed that the U.S. continues to intercept Houthi drones aimed at “Israel,” noting that the drones are Iranian-made.
Kurilla criticized China’s stance on Houthi attacks in the Red Sea, pointing out that Beijing has refrained from intervening despite having a military base in Djibouti. He said this inaction has worsened the damage Egypt has suffered due to disruptions in maritime shipping through the strategic waterway.
He accused China of pursuing a double standard in the Middle East—seeking advanced security partnerships with Saudi Arabia and the UAE, while continuing to purchase Iranian oil under U.S. sanctions via an illicit maritime network. This, he argued, undermines the effectiveness of sanctions on Tehran and weakens U.S. efforts to contain Iran’s activities in the region.
Kurilla noted that China buys around 85% of Iran’s oil exports, amounting to approximately 1.5 million barrels per day, taking advantage of prices lower than the global market rate. He also pointed out that Iraq has become another target of China’s financial strategy in the region.
He revealed that Chinese arms sales to the Middle East have surged by 80% in recent years, attributing this rise to the affordability and ease of access to Chinese equipment, which comes with fewer political conditions. This, he warned, gives Beijing growing influence in regional arms markets.
