Iran-backed Houthi rebels are developing advanced ballistic missiles capable of striking targets across Saudi Arabia and Israel, using components shipped from China, according to a report by The Wall Street Journal.
The attacks, along with Iran’s continued strikes on commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, have contributed to rising oil prices and prompted US President Donald Trump to accuse the Houthis of behaving “very badly” in a post on his Truth Social platform. An investigation by Conflict Armament Research (CAR), an organisation that tracks weapons and their supply chains in conflict zones, found that the weapons under development appear to be modelled on Iran’s Kheibar Shekan missile. The precision-guided ballistic missile is capable of manoeuvring to evade air defence systems. The development comes amid an intensification of Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia in recent weeks, escalating tensions over a blockade led by Riyadh.
Missile-related equipment had been concealed among other goods, according to the report. Chinese companies account for the largest share of seized goods destined for the group, according to UN reports and data compiled by arms experts. The Conflict Armament Research (CAR) report draws on information provided by Yemeni authorities in July, following the interception of two shipments in the previous year. The data also indicate that most suppliers of drone components sanctioned by the United States over their alleged links to the Houthis are based in China.
