Red Sea attacks: Yemen’s Houthis reported to have a hypersonic missile
- Russian media report says Iran-backed Houthis have successfully tested a missile capable of Mach 8
- Houthis have attacked ships since November, saying they want to force Israel to end Gaza offensive
Yemen’s Houthi rebels claim to have a new, hypersonic missile in their arsenal, Russia’s state media reported, potentially raising the stakes in their attacks on shipping in the Red Sea and surrounding waterways against the backdrop of Israel’s war with Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
Thursday’s report by the state-run RIA Novosti news agency cited an unidentified official but provided no evidence for the claim. It comes as Moscow maintains an aggressively counter-Western foreign policy amid its grinding war on Ukraine.
However, the Houthis have for weeks hinted about “surprises” they plan for the battles at sea to counter the United States and its allies, which have so far been able to down any missile or bomb-carrying drone that comes near their warships in Middle East waters.
On Thursday, Abdul Malik al-Houthi, the Houthis’ secretive supreme leader, said the rebels will start hitting ships heading toward the Cape of Good Hope in Africa’s southern tip.
Until now, the rebels have largely struck ships heading into the Red Sea toward the Suez Canal, and such an escalation would target the longer, alternative route used by some vessels. It remains unclear how they would carry any possible assault out.