How Chinese parts are fuelling Houthi ambitions to strike Israel and Saudi Arabia
Reports indicate that Houthi rebels in Yemen are sourcing components from China to manufacture advanced ballistic missiles. This effort aims to reduce reliance on Iranian-supplied systems and increase their capability to strike targets in Saudi Arabia and Israel.
Why it matters
The potential for non-state actors to independently produce advanced precision-guided weaponry significantly alters the security landscape in the Middle East.
Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels are seeking to manufacture advanced ballistic missiles using components sourced from China, potentially giving the group the ability to strike targets across Saudi Arabia and Israel, according to a new report by the Wall Street Journal.A separate investigation by Bloomberg has documented a wider supply network bringing missile parts, drone components and industrial machinery into Yemen.The findings point to the Houthis’ growing ambition to manufacture more of their own weapons instead of relying primarily on Iran for finished systems.
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