Iranian arms and foreign components sustain Houthi military buildup, CAR report says

The conflict between Iran and Yemen's Houthi rebels has intensified, with a new report revealing the extent of Iranian support for the Houthis' military buildup. Conflict Armament Research (CAR) has documented the origins of the Houthis' weapons, revealing a strong reliance on Iranian designs and components.

CAR's Head of Research, Rob Hunter-Perkins, stated that external support remains crucial for the Houthis' operations, with evidence suggesting a high degree of planning and coordination in supplying these weapons. In some cases, the Houthis are even receiving ready-made missile kits with assembly instructions, which display Iranian missile designations rather than those used by the Houthis themselves.

Over the past decade, CAR has been tracking the development and acquisition of Houthi weapons, including drones, missiles, and improvised explosive devices. Fabian Hinz, a Senior Analyst at CAR, emphasized that Iranian support has been essential in providing the Houthis with advanced technologies, such as the Kheybarshekan medium-range ballistic missile.

The report, released in response to the Houthis' recent military advances, highlights the group's diverse arsenal, which includes anti-ship, surface-to-air, and ballistic missiles. Houthi forces have even claimed to shoot down an F-15 fighter jet and attacked various cities in Saudi Arabia.

CAR's findings also shed light on Houthi experimentation with new technologies, such as navigation modules and propellers potentially used in loitering torpedoes. These developments could significantly enhance the Houthis' ability to attack maritime targets, particularly if they were to capture the Red Sea coast. This would provide them with closer surveillance capabilities and more effective targeting of vessels attempting to transit the strait.

The report also noted that Houthi coastal advances could strengthen their attacks on shipping, with the strategic coastal areas becoming potential launch sites for short-range reconnaissance and strike assets. This would enable more efficient targeting of vessels attempting to transit the Red Sea.

Despite the US blockade, Iran has continued to support the Houthis by shipping complete weapons and enabling local manufacturing bases. CAR's analysis of over 800 weapon components from Yemen revealed that most foreign components are sourced from Iran and other countries, with a total of 16 contributing nations and territories. This reliance on foreign technology underscores Iran's dependence on critical resources for missile and drone production.

In the past year, CAR has analyzed a significant number of weapon components from Yemen, with the majority being foreign components sourced from Iran and other countries. This reliance on external supply highlights the Houthis' dependence on Iranian-origin weapons, as well as Iran's own need for foreign technology to sustain its missile and drone production capabilities.