Iran Comes out in the Open About Helping Yemeni Houthis' Ballistic Missile Program

Iran has admitted that it helped the Houthis of Yemen develop an anti-ship ballistic missile, 'Muhit' based on its own naval ballistic missile, 'Qadr.'

The Qadr (Ghadr) missile was developed over a decade ago by the late Iranian commander Brigadier General Hassan Tehrani-Moqaddam. The expertise behind such technology is now accessible to Yemeni forces, Iran’s semi-official Tasnim news agency reports.

Yemen’s new 'Muhit' (Ocean) missile has been designed to target and destroy naval vessels. The Muhit missile, similar to Iran's Qadr, is equipped with an optical seeker, enhancing its capability to home in on enemy warships.

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC)-affiliated news agency did not specify whether Iran provided the Houthis the technology for the missile, but stated that the group was "inspired" by Tehran.

Iran developed the Qadr intermediate-range ballistic missile under Brigadier General Hassan Tehrani-Moqaddam. It has a range of 1,600 to 1,950 kilometers (995-1,210 miles) and was unveiled in 2007, according to the Center for Strategic and International Studies’ Missile Defense Project.

Yemen's Muhit missile, resembling the Qadr, was revealed in Sanaa last September with a 400-kilometer range.

The Yemeni Armed Forces, aligned with the Ansarallah movement, possess surface-to-air missiles and transformed some into surface-to-surface weapons, like the Qaher missiles.

Furthermore, Sanaa's Armed Forces possess remnants of weaponry from the Soviet era and demonstrate a capacity for local arms production.

Since November, the Houthis have engaged in targeted actions against vessels with ties to Israel or destined for Israeli ports across the Red Sea, Arab Sea, and Gulf of Aden. These operations, launched in solidarity with the ongoing conflict in Gaza, signal a sustained effort from Yemen until a resolution is reached.