Yemen's Hutis Reveal Solid Fuel Missile Similar to Iran's

The Hutis fired their new missile on Monday, with the name 'Palestine', which is complete with a warhead painted like a Palestinian 'keffiyeh' scarf, towards the port of Eilat, in the south of Israel's Gulf of Aqaba.

The attack set off air raid sirens, but caused no damage or injuries, reports the Associated Press (AP).

Images released by the Hutis on Wednesday night showed 'Palestine' being lifted onto what appears to be a mobile launcher and being launched, leaving a trail of white smoke.

White smoke is common in solid-fuel missiles, which can be assembled and fired more quickly than those containing liquid fuel.

This is a key concern for the Houthis, as their missile launch sites have repeatedly been the target of attacks by US and allied forces in recent months, due to the rebels' attacks on ships across the Red Sea corridor in response. to the war in the Gaza Strip between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas.

The rebels described the 'Palestina' as a "locally manufactured" missile. However, there is no known Huthi ability to manufacture complex missile systems locally in Yemen, the Arab world's poorest country, which has been wracked by war since rebels seized the capital, Sanaa, nearly a decade ago.

The Houthis have, however, been repeatedly armed by Iran during the war, despite the United Nations arms embargo.

Although Iran claims it does not supply weapons to the Houthis, ships seized by the US and its allies found Iranian weapons, missile fuel and components on board.

Iranian media reported the launch of 'Palestina', describing it as locally manufactured, citing the Houthis.

But the missile's design elements are reminiscent of other missiles developed by Iran's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, such as the 'Fattah', or 'Conqueror' in Farsi.

Iran unveiled the missile last year and claimed it could reach Mach 15 - or 15 times the speed of sound. It also described the missile's range as up to 1,400 kilometers.

In March, Russian state news agency RIA Novosti cited an anonymous source claiming that the Houthis had a hypersonic missile.

"Although we cannot say with certainty which exact version 'Palestine' corresponds to, we can say with great certainty that it is an advanced, precision-guided solid-fuel missile supplied by Iran," said Fabian Hinz, a missile expert. and researcher at the International Institute for Strategic Studies.

Asked about the similarity between 'Palestine' and its missiles, Iran's mission to the United Nations told the Associated Press (AP) that Tehran "has not engaged in any activities that contradict" UN resolutions.

Hypersonic weapons, which fly at speeds exceeding Mach 5, can pose crucial challenges to missile defense systems due to their speed and maneuverability.

Ballistic missiles fly on a trajectory in which anti-missile systems like the US-made Patriot can anticipate their trajectory and intercept them.

The more irregular the missile's flight path, such as a hypersonic missile with the ability to change direction, the more difficult it becomes to intercept.