Houthis building new longer-range missiles with Chinese-imported parts – report

Yemen's Houthi rebels are attempting to build advanced medium-range ballistic missiles using Chinese-imported parts, according to a Wall Street Journal report citing Conflict Armament Research. The planned projectile would have a range of some 1,900 kilometers, extending its reach to Israel and deeper into Saudi Arabia and Gulf states.

Yemen's Houthi rebels are attempting to build advanced medium-range ballistic missiles using parts delivered from China, the Wall Street Journal reported Wednesday, citing an assessment by Conflict Armament Research. The planned projectile would be a longer-range version of Iran's Kheibar Shekan precision-guided missile, with a range of some 1,900 kilometers — enough to target Israel as well as regions of Saudi Arabia and other Gulf countries further from the Yemen border. The report came amid a violent escalation between a Saudi-led coalition and the Houthis, with missile strikes on airports and energy facilities across the kingdom. The latest fighting was triggered by Houthi strikes on Riyadh's international airport over the weekend that left 13 people dead. China insists it does not provide the Houthis with arms and adheres to the UN arms embargo, but has long supplied Iran and its proxy forces with weapons and parts. Despite the reported arms sales, China privately asked Tehran to help rein in the Houthis last month, according to sources familiar with the talks. Chinese officials did not issue explicit threats or indicate economic pressure, but Beijing is one of the few capitals with the financial capacity to press Iran on the issue.