How Houthis gained enough firepower to be major military force
The Houthi rebels ' missile advances have created a “global threat” with a military might that far outstrips many modern armies, experts have told The National . For more than a decade the Iran-backed Houthis have been building up their aerial arsenal. They have assembled an inventory of attack drones, long-range ballistic rockets , anti-ship cruise missiles and kamikaze speedboats. The arsenal…
Over the past decade, the Iran-backed Houthis have steadily expanded their arsenal, creating a force capable of posing a significant threat, both regionally and potentially globally. With an inventory of drones, long-range ballistic rockets, anti-ship cruise missiles, and kamikaze speedboats, the group currently possesses fewer than 1,000 drones and several hundred ballistic missiles, enough to disrupt Red Sea shipping and affect global energy markets.
Despite recent US and Israeli attacks on Houthi weapons sites, the group's ability to build, target, and strike remains strong, as evidenced by the creation of a significant arsenal following Iranian assistance, particularly in the form of engineers, components, and expertise. This assistance, along with components from China, has enabled the Houthis to continue building up their capabilities, making them a regional threat that could soon become a global one.
The group's attacks on Saudi-linked shipping and oil infrastructure, along with a maritime embargo on Saudi Arabia, demonstrate their determination to leverage their military might. Through well-established dhow routes, the Houthis have secured parts and components to assemble their own rockets and drones, although they still rely largely on Iranian assistance for expertise and more complex components.
Written by urgent.news from The National UAE's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
