In a belligerent and contentious move, a news agency affiliated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) confirmed that Tehran has provided ballistic missile technology to the Houthi rebels in Yemen. Tasnim News Agency reported on May 29 that Iran’s first anti-ship ballistic missile, named “Ghadir,” has been transferred to the Houthi group Ansarullah.
Whilst overstating the regime’s missile technology and capabilities, Tasnim’s report said, “The Ghadir missile has become the first Iranian anti-ship ballistic missile. Years have passed since its creation, and now this achievement by martyr Tehrani Moghaddam is in the hands of Yemeni fighters.”
A commander of the IRGC Aerospace Force, Hassan Tehrani Moghaddam was a key figure in the regime’s ballistic missile program, who was killed in an explosion in 2011.
This disclosure comes amidst heightened scrutiny of Tehran’s role in regional conflicts and its alleged support for the Houthis, who have been involved in recent violent clashes and disruptions to Red Sea shipping lanes. The clerical regime has repeatedly denied providing military support to the Houthis, with Amir Saeed Iravani, Iran’s Ambassador to the United Nations, asserting on April 18 that Tehran has no involvement in arming the Yemeni rebels.
However, Tasnim’s report highlighted that the Houthis’ “Mohit” missile is closely modeled after Iran’s Ghadir missile, which itself was adapted from the IRGC’s “Thunder 69” missile, a variant of the Chinese B610 missile acquired by the IRGC in 1990.
Tasnim further claimed that “this technological transfer indicates the Islamic Republic’s enhanced support for the resistance front and its success in creating an integrated command and control network in the region, spanning drone and missile capabilities.”
The United Nations reported in 2018 that Houthi forces were armed with ballistic missiles and drones bearing characteristics similar to Iranian-made weapons. Recent months have seen the seizure of Iranian vessels carrying arms bound for Yemen, including incidents involving French and British naval forces intercepting shipments of rifles, machine guns, and anti-tank missiles.
On May 29, U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) announced that Iran-backed Houthi rebels had launched five anti-ship ballistic missiles into the Red Sea, with three striking the Marshall Islands-flagged vessel “LUX.” These attacks have forced shipping companies to divert their routes, leading to longer and more expensive journeys. The U.S. and UK have conducted operations to counter these Houthi attacks on commercial shipping in the area. Pentagon officials noted that the U.S. military has had to use $2 million defense systems to intercept $2,000 Houthi missiles.
Source » ncr-iran