Report: Houthis developing advanced ballistic missiles using Chinese parts

A Wall Street Journal report, based on a study by Conflict Armament Research, reveals that Houthi rebels in Yemen are developing medium-range ballistic missiles using Chinese components and Iranian assistance. The missile, based on an Iranian model, is expected to reach a range of about 2,000 km, threatening Saudi Arabia and Israel. The report is based on information gathered after the interception of two missile equipment shipments last July.

A Wall Street Journal report, based on a new study by the military research organization Conflict Armament Research, reveals that Houthi rebels in Yemen are developing medium-range ballistic missiles using components imported from China and Iranian assistance. According to the report, the Houthis are importing from a Chinese supplier a variety of components needed to build a local version of Iranian guided missiles of the Khaibar-Shekan type. The Houthi missile is expected to have a range of about 2,000 kilometers, allowing it to reach all areas of Saudi Arabia and Israel. The report is based on information gathered by authorities of the Yemeni government opposing the Houthis last July, after two shipments containing missile equipment were intercepted. Meanwhile, over the past weekend (around October 10-11, 2026), 13 people were killed and 309 wounded in a Houthi attack on King Khalid International Airport. Among the dead were four Saudi civilians, two Bangladeshi citizens, and one citizen each from India, the United States, Egypt, Jordan, Syria, the Palestinian Authority, and Sudan. The attack led to the suspension of airport operations and the evacuation of passengers. This marks a serious escalation in attacks on civilian targets in Saudi Arabia, against the backdrop of the ongoing fighting in Yemen. Later, on Sunday evening (October 11), a further hit on Terminal 4 of the airport by a rocket was reported, causing a fire. A Saudi military spokesman said air defense systems in Riyadh intercepted a cruise missile in the area. An anti-Houthi Yemeni source based in Riyadh told Kan News that the rebels escalated their attacks as a result of the defeats they are suffering on their own soil in Yemen, especially in the Bab el-Mandeb area. The Saudi home front has suffered a lethal blow from the Houthis, unprecedented in terms of casualties in over a decade.