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By Brian Freeman | Wednesday, 14 October 2026 09:23 AM EDT
Houthi terrorists are attempting to build advanced medium-range ballistic missiles with components from a Chinese company, potentially enabling the Iran-backed group to strike targets across Saudi Arabia and Israel, The Wall Street Journalreported.
The report by Conflict Armament Research, a group that investigates weapons and their supply chains in conflict zones, found that shipments intercepted by Yemeni authorities contained components needed to produce a version of Iran’s Kheibar Shekan precision-guided ballistic missile.
The missile has a reported range of up to 1,200 miles, placing all of Saudi Arabia and Israel within reach. The findings raise concerns that the Houthis are developing the capability to manufacture more advanced weapons domestically rather than relying primarily on missiles supplied by Iran.
The report, reviewed by The Wall Street Journal before publication, was based on information provided by Yemeni authorities in July following the interception of two shipments last year. The missile-related equipment was concealed among other goods.
“When you have imports like that, there is a possibility that they are already manufacturing or that they are trying and it doesn’t really work out,” said Fabian Hinz, a senior analyst at Conflict Armament Research.
Hinz said the Houthis’ weapons facilities are heavily camouflaged, making it difficult to determine how far the group has progressed toward producing the missiles.
The Kheibar Shekan, first displayed in Tehran in 2022, is among Iran’s more advanced ballistic weapons. Its maneuverability makes it more difficult for air-defense systems to intercept than conventional ballistic missiles.
In some versions, the missile’s warhead section separates during the final stage of flight and uses a small engine to adjust its trajectory as it approaches a target at speeds of about 6,000 miles per hour, according to analysts and officials.
Iran used the weapon against American bases during its war with the U.S. last spring, with some success, The Wall Street Journal previously reported.
The potential expansion of Houthi missile capabilities comes as the group has intensified attacks on Saudi Arabia in recent weeks in an effort to break a Riyadh-led blockade. The attacks, combined with Iran’s continued strikes on commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz, have contributed to rising oil prices and heightened tensions with Washington.
Mohammed al-Basha, founder of Washington-based risk-advisory firm Basha Report, said the Houthis have become increasingly capable of developing and producing their own weapons after years of depending on Iran and its Lebanese ally, Hezbollah.
“They have developed domestic manufacturing capabilities with artificial intelligence for drone and missile software, diversified their supply chains, accumulated operational experience, and established relationships with regional smugglers and international procurement networks,” Basha said.
Iran previously shipped missiles to the Houthis for reassembly and use, but the group has increasingly developed its own procurement networks and manufacturing capabilities.
The Houthis, designated by the U.S. as a terrorist organization and subject to a U.N. arms embargo, have expanded their connections with Chinese suppliers and other international sources in recent years.
Chinese companies have become the largest source of goods seized while being shipped to the Houthis, according to U.N. reports and data compiled by weapons experts. Most suppliers of drone components for the group that have been sanctioned by the U.S. are based in China, the data show.
Henry Thompson, a former expert on the U.N. panel monitoring sanctions on Yemen, said evidence indicates the Houthis have been importing components for solid-fuel ballistic missiles from China for at least two years.
With medium-range ballistic missiles, “the Houthis can reach deep into Saudi Arabia with a bigger payload than cruise missiles and drones,” Thompson said. “They are going to be a more potent threat.”
The intercepted shipments contained custom-made metal components for missile motors and airframes, as well as fins designed to stabilize missiles during flight. Authorities also seized parts of a solid-propellant rocket motor associated with the Kheibar Shekan missile series.
China has said it complies with the U.N. arms embargo on the Houthis. Some of the imported components have legitimate civilian applications, although investigators found that other parts were specifically designed for missile use.
