Houthis Building Advanced Ballistic Missiles With Chinese Parts, Israel And Saudi Arabia In Range: Report

New Delhi: Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi rebels are attempting to develop advanced medium-range ballistic missiles using components sourced from Chinese suppliers, a development that could significantly expand the group's ability to strike targets across Saudi Arabia and Israel, according to a US media report.

The weapons under development are believed to be modelled on Iran's Kheibar Shekan precision-guided ballistic missile, which has a reported range of approximately 1,200 miles (around 1,930 kilometres). If successfully developed, a Houthi version of the missile could bring both Israel and Saudi Arabia within its striking range.

The findings are based on an investigation by Conflict Armament Research (CAR), a United Kingdom-based organisation that tracks weapons and their supply chains in conflict zones. The investigation points to the Houthis' growing ambition to manufacture sophisticated weapons within Yemen, potentially reducing their dependence on complete missile systems supplied by Iran.

The development comes amid escalating regional tensions and renewed Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia, raising concerns about the group's expanding missile capabilities and the international supply networks that could be supporting its weapons programme.

Chinese-Origin Components Intercepted In Yemen

According to the CAR investigation, Yemeni authorities intercepted two shipments containing suspected missile-related equipment in 2025 and provided information about the seizures to investigators in July 2026.

The consignments reportedly originated in China and were intended for delivery to Hodeidah, a port in Yemen controlled by the Houthis. The equipment had been concealed among other cargo, according to reports detailing the investigation.

The seized material included specialised metal components used in missile construction, including stabilising fin cores, rocket motor closures with nozzle attachments and rocket motor igniters. Investigators also identified components associated with solid-propellant rocket motors, which are used to power ballistic missiles.

The shipments reportedly contained phenolic resin, a material used in manufacturing ablative heat shields. Such materials protect a missile's structure from the extreme temperatures generated during high-speed flight through the atmosphere.

Authorities also seized testing equipment, tools and raw materials that could support the development and assembly of missile systems.

The combination of components raised concerns that the shipments were intended to support the production of a missile based on Iran's Kheibar Shekan design, rather than representing an assortment of unrelated commercial goods.

Fabian Hinz, a senior analyst at CAR, said the findings suggested that the Houthis' ambitions to manufacture advanced weapons locally were greater than previously understood.

Hinz also indicated that the specialised nature of the components meant that their intended military application could not easily be explained by ordinary civilian uses. Producing a functioning missile using such components would also require relevant technical designs and information.

However, the discovery of the equipment does not by itself establish that the Houthis have successfully manufactured and deployed a fully operational missile based on the Iranian design.

Iran's Kheibar Shekan Missile And Its Capabilities

The missile reportedly being replicated by the Houthis is based on Iran's Kheibar Shekan, a precision-guided ballistic missile first unveiled in Tehran in 2022.

The system has a reported range of approximately 2,000 kilometres, or around 1,200 miles, placing targets across Saudi Arabia and Israel within its potential reach.

The Kheibar Shekan is considered a significant part of Iran's missile arsenal because of its combination of mobility, precision guidance and manoeuvrability. Its ability to alter its trajectory can complicate interception by air defence systems, making it a more challenging target than conventional ballistic missiles with predictable flight paths.

The missile is also designed to be relatively mobile, allowing it to be deployed and launched from different locations. Such mobility can make it more difficult for an adversary to locate launch positions and destroy them before an attack.

Iran has used the Kheibar Shekan in attacks against US military bases in the Middle East, according to reports on the missile's operational history.

If the Houthis can develop a comparable system, the group could potentially gain access to a longer-range and more sophisticated strike capability. Such a development would increase the threat to Saudi military and strategic infrastructure, while also expanding the range of potential targets in Israel.

Nevertheless, the extent to which a Houthi-produced missile would match the range, accuracy and manoeuvrability of the Iranian weapon remains unclear.

Houthis Seeking Greater Independence In Weapons Production

The reported procurement of Chinese-origin components points to a broader evolution in the Houthis' military capabilities.

The group has historically relied on Iranian support and assistance from other regional networks to acquire weapons, technical expertise and missile components. Over time, however, the Houthis have increasingly developed the ability to assemble, modify and manufacture weapons using parts obtained through overseas procurement channels.

Rather than relying exclusively on complete missile systems or fully assembled weapons, the group has increasingly sought individual components that can be brought into Yemen and incorporated into locally assembled systems.

Security analysts have also pointed to the Houthis' expanding supply networks, relationships with smugglers and growing experience in operating missiles and drones as factors contributing to their military development.

Mohammed Albasha, a security analyst cited in reports on the investigation, has described the group's expanding domestic manufacturing capabilities, diversification of supply chains and accumulated operational experience as important elements of its growing military sophistication.

The move towards locally assembling more advanced missiles could give the Houthis greater flexibility in maintaining and expanding their arsenal, particularly when access to Iranian supplies is restricted.

It could also make efforts to limit their weapons capabilities more complicated. Intercepting complete weapons shipments is different from identifying and disrupting a dispersed network supplying individual components, manufacturing equipment and technical materials.

At the same time, analysts have cautioned that the actual progress of the missile programme is difficult to establish because the group's weapons manufacturing facilities are concealed. The intercepted shipments demonstrate access to potentially important equipment, but they do not establish the scale of production or whether the missile has entered operational service.

Chinese Supply Networks Raise Questions

The reported involvement of Chinese-origin components has raised questions about how the Houthis are obtaining specialised materials despite restrictions on arms transfers to the group.

Reports on the CAR findings indicate that Chinese suppliers have become an important part of the supply chain for equipment seized while being transported to the Houthis.

However, the identification of components originating in China does not, by itself, establish that the Chinese government directly authorised or coordinated their transfer. The distinction between goods supplied by commercial entities, intermediaries and state-directed military assistance remains important.

China has maintained that it complies with international regulations governing military exports. The reported findings nevertheless raise concerns about the monitoring of specialised components and materials that can be diverted into weapons programmes.

The case also highlights the difficulties of enforcing restrictions against armed groups that rely on international procurement networks and concealed shipments. Even when a finished weapon cannot be transferred openly, its individual components may move through commercial supply chains before being assembled at their destination.

The investigation's findings could therefore intensify scrutiny of suppliers and intermediaries suspected of helping the Houthis obtain missile-related equipment.

Growing Regional Security Concerns

The reported missile programme comes at a time of heightened tensions involving the Houthis, Saudi Arabia and other regional actors.

The Houthis have developed an increasingly sophisticated arsenal of ballistic missiles and drones, enabling them to threaten targets beyond the areas of Yemen under their control. Their attacks have previously extended to Israel and Saudi Arabia, while their activities around strategic maritime routes have added to concerns over regional security and international trade.

Saudi Arabia has faced repeated security challenges from Houthi missile and drone attacks during the conflict in Yemen. A missile with a longer range and a potentially more capable guidance system could expand the number of locations that the group can threaten.

For Israel, the reported programme raises concerns about another potential source of long-range missile threats, particularly given the Houthis' previous attacks and their alignment with Iran.

The development also has implications for regional maritime security. Yemen's position near the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a key passage connecting the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden, gives the conflict a wider strategic significance for shipping and energy transportation.

The reported acquisition of Chinese-origin components does not establish that the Houthis have completed a new missile system or that an attack using such a weapon is imminent. However, the findings indicate that the group is seeking to expand its capabilities and could be working towards greater independence in producing advanced weapons.

If the programme succeeds, the Houthis could acquire a more capable medium-range ballistic missile without depending entirely on the transfer of complete systems from Iran. That prospect could complicate regional defence planning and add another layer of uncertainty to an already volatile security environment.

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