Yemen’s Houthis look to build ballistic missiles with more Chinese supplies, report says

Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi rebels are attempting to build a new advanced medium-range ballistic missile system with the help of Chinese parts, according to a new report released Wednesday by a group that tracks the use of weapons in conflict zones. By turning to China, it also appears to be a sign of increasing independence.The rebels expand their ambition, an analyst saysThe Houthis have tried to acquire key parts from Chinese suppliers that could be used to make a version of Iran’s Kheibar Shekan precision-guided missile, according to the report. The Kheibar Shekan has a range of roughly 1,200 miles (2,000 kilometers).“The local ambition of the Houthis for manufacturing is beyond what was previously assumed,” said Fabian Hinz, a senior analyst at Conflict Armament Research, a research outfit specializing in tracing the flow of arms in war zones around the globe.

“These types of parts are very specific, and producing them would have required design information related to the missile.”They're “not goods that can be used for a variety of civilian applications,” Hinz said.The Chinese Embassy in Washington didn't respond to a request for comment.China is a major purchaser of both Iranian and Saudi oil and leveraged its ties with both countries to broker a rapprochement in 2023. It has condemned a series of attacks on Saudi airports by the Houthis and called for a de-escalation in the fighting.Saudi Arabia and Yemen’s government launched a military campaign last month aimed at driving back the Houthis from the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a critical Middle East trade route for oil and other goods.Yemen interdicted key components to building missilesThe Conflict Armament report was based on information released by Yemeni government authorities in July after officials interdicted two shipments that included suspicious equipment.The shipments originated from China and were intended to be delivered to Hodeidah, a Yemeni port that Israeli officials say has been commonly used by the Iranians as a weapons transfer point. China accounts for the largest share…

The report by the U.K.-based Conflict Armament Research group came as the Houthis, in their ongoing war with Saudi Arabia, are demonstrating remarkable ability to wreak havoc on one of the Middle East’s best equipped militaries. The weaponry under development could help the group more precisely target the Saudis and Israel. The rebels expand their ambition, an analyst says The Houthis have tried to acquire key parts from Chinese suppliers that could be used to make a version of Iran’s Kheibar Shekan precision-guided missile, according to the report.

The Kheibar Shekan has a range of roughly 1,200 miles (2,000 kilometers). “The local ambition of the Houthis for manufacturing is beyond what was previously assumed,” said Fabian Hinz, a senior analyst at Conflict Armament Research, a research outfit specializing in tracing the flow of arms in war zones around the globe. The Chinese Embassy in Washington didn’t respond to a request for comment.

China is a major purchaser of both Iranian and Saudi oil and leveraged its ties with both countries to broker a rapprochement in 2023. Saudi Arabia and Yemen’s government launched a military campaign last month aimed at driving back the Houthis from the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a critical Middle East trade route for oil and other goods. Yemen interdicted key components to building missiles The Conflict Armament report was based on information released by Yemeni government authorities in July after officials interdicted two shipments that included suspicious equipment.

The shipments originated from China and were intended to be delivered to Hodeidah, a Yemeni port that Israeli officials say has been commonly used by the Iranians as a weapons transfer point.