Russian State News Agency Claims Houthis Currently Have Hypersonic Missiles

The Russian state news agency "RIA Novosti" claimed on Thursday, March 15, that Houthi rebels currently possess hypersonic missiles in their arsenal. This unsubstantiated report from the Russian state agency cites an unnamed official close to the Houthis, coinciding with the rebels' recent announcements about unveiling a new "surprise" to fight against the U.S. and its allies in the region's waters. Hypersonic weapons, or "beyond sound," refer to weapons capable of traveling at speeds between 5 to 25 times the speed of sound (approximately 1.6 to 8 kilometers per second). The official claimed that the Houthis successfully tested a missile that operates on solid fuel and can reach speeds of eight Mach (eight times the speed of sound). He further stated that the Houthis intend to produce this missile for use in attacks in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, as well as against Israel. The Islamic Republic, as the main arms supporter of the Houthis, claimed in June of this year to have unveiled its first hypersonic missile named "Fattah." Although the Iranian government denies providing arms to the Houthis, the U.S. and its allies have repeatedly intercepted shipments of Iranian weapons and munitions en route to Yemen. According to the Associated Press, quoting Fabian Hinz, a researcher and missile expert at the International Institute for Strategic Studies, the potential transfer of hypersonic and supersonic weapons from Iran to the Houthis would not surprise him. He believes the main issue is the maneuverability of these missiles at high speeds and their capability to target moving objects. Hinz added that the Islamic Republic may send new weapons for testing to the Houthis. Houthi militants in Yemen, supported by the Islamic Republic, have repeatedly attacked international commercial vessels in the Gulf of Aden and the Red Sea with missiles and drones since early November, citing support for Palestinians. Many of these attacks have been thwarted by U.S. forces or the coalition, and numerous of their bases within Yemen have been targeted by independent or joint operations of the U.S. military and other U.S. allies. Nevertheless, the Houthis' acquisition of hypersonic missiles would pose a significant challenge to U.S. and allied air defense systems in the region. The Biden administration, which removed the Houthis from the list of terrorist organizations shortly after taking office in January 2021, placed the group back on the list of "specially designated global terrorists" on February 16, 2024. The Houthis fired an anti-ship ballistic missile; CENTCOM reported that four drones were destroyed. The legitimate Yemeni government confirmed the deaths of at least 11 people in U.S. and British attacks on Houthi positions. The continued insecurity in the Red Sea by Iran-backed Houthis; destruction of several drones and missiles by the coalition. Two explosions occurred near a ship in the Gulf of Aden; no crew members were harmed. The CENTCOM commander stated that the Islamic Republic has turned the Middle East into a "center of crises." The White House reacted to the deaths of three crew members of a commercial ship: countries around the world must prevent Houthi attacks. The U.S. sanctioned a network supported by the Quds Force and active in shipping goods for the Houthis.