Iran-backed Houthis are working towards building advanced ballistic missiles that could strike targets across Saudi Arabia and Israel, using components shipped from China, according to a report by The Wall Street Journal .
The weapons under development appear to be modelled on Iran’s Kheibar Shekan, a precision-guided ballistic missile capable of manoeuvring to evade air defence systems, according to an investigation by Conflict Armament Research (CAR).
The development comes as Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia have intensified in recent weeks, adding to tensions over a Riyadh-led blockade. The CAR report is based on information provided by Yemeni authorities in July after they intercepted two shipments the previous year. “They are going to be a more potent threat. The data also indicate that most suppliers of drone components sanctioned by the US for their links to the Houthis are based in China.
The weapons under development appear to be modelled on Iran’s Kheibar Shekan, a precision-guided ballistic missile capable of manoeuvring to evade air defence systems, according to an investigation by Conflict Armament Research (CAR), a group that tracks weapons and their supply chains in conflict zones. The attacks, alongside Iran’s continued strikes on commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, have contributed to rising oil prices and caused US President Donald Trump to accuse the Houthis of behaving “very badly” in a post on his Social Truth platform. Missile-related equipment was concealed among other goods, the report said. Henry Thompson, a former expert on the UN’s Yemen sanctions panel, said evidence suggests the Houthis have been importing components for solid-fuel ballistic missiles from China for at least two years. With medium-range ballistic missiles, “the Houthis can reach deep into Saudi Arabia with a bigger payload than cruise missiles and drones,” he said. Chinese companies have become the largest source of seized goods destined for the group, according to UN reports and data collected by arms experts.
