Tehran supplied Yemen’s Houthis with sea-launched ballistic missile – Iranian media

Tasnim news agency says weapon ‘capable of presenting serious challenges’ to US interests and Israel

An Iranian long-range Ghadr missile with "Death to Israel" written in Hebrew down the side is displayed at a defense exhibition in city of Isfahan, central Iran, on February 8, 2023. (Morteza Salehi/Tasnim News/AFP)
An Iranian long-range Ghadr missile with "Death to Israel" written in Hebrew down the side is displayed at a defense exhibition in city of Isfahan, central Iran, on February 8, 2023. (Morteza Salehi/Tasnim News/AFP)

Iran’s semi-official Tasnim news agency reported on Wednesday that Tehran’s sea-launched ballistic missile Ghadr has been made available to Yemen’s Houthis.

“Iran’s sea-launched ballistic missile, named Ghadr, now has been made available to Yemen’s (Houthi) fighters,” reported Tasnim, which is believed to be affiliated with Iran’s elite Revolutionary Guards.

“Now, the missile… has become a weapon capable of presenting serious challenges to the interests of the United States and its main ally in the region, the Zionist regime,” Tasnim said.

Iran’s foreign ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Iran supports the Houthis but had previously repeatedly denied arming the group.

The Houthis have been attacking shipping lanes in and around the Red Sea in what they say is a show of support for Palestinians amid the war between Israel and Hamas, impacting a shipping route vital to trade.

They have also fired ballistic missiles and drones at the southern Israeli city of Eilat.

A screenshot of video shared on social media shows an explosion as an interceptor missile hits a suspected drone near Eilat on 28, 2024, as the Iran-backed Islamic Resistance in Iraq claimed to target the Red Sea coastal city in a drone attack. (Screenshot: X, used in accordance with Clause 27a of the Copyright Law)

According to the US Office of the Director of National Intelligence, Iran is armed with the largest number of ballistic missiles in the region. It is also a major producer of drones.

Last month, Iran launched more than 300 projectiles at Israel, comprising 170 drones, 30 cruise missiles, and 120 ballistic missiles, in an unprecedented attack.

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