Houthi Ansar Allah Movement: We Have A Hypersonic Missile; Pro-Hizbullah Daily: Houthis Have Long-Range Glide Missiles That Can Reach Strait Of Hormuz

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On June 26, 2024, on his Telegram channel, Houthi armed forces spokesman Brig.-Gen. Yahya Sare'e revealed that the missile recently launched by the Houthis at "the Israeli ship" the MSC SARAH V in the Arabian Sea[1]was a locally-made precision, hypersonic, long-range missile.[2] On the previous day, the pro-Hizbullah Lebanese Al-Akhbar daily reported that the Houthis are preparing for "the fifth phase" of their campaign, and that they possess advanced weapons systems that have not yet been introduced into the fighting, including advanced USVs and long-range Glide missiles that can reach the Strait of Hormuz.

New Missile Apparently Based On Iranian Kheibar Shekan Missile

Shortly after Sare'e issued his statement, the Houthis official Military Media Telegram channel posted technical details about the new missile, and a short videoclip and a series of photographs purportedly depicting the Houthi launch of the missile at "the Israeli ship" the MSC SARAH V, in the Arabian Sea. According to the report, the new weapon is a locally-produced Hatem-2, ballistic, solid-propellant rocket with lateral acceleration for missile maneuverability and a smart control system. The Telegram channel also stated that the Houthis possesses various models of the missile, each of which has a different range..[3]

It is notable that the Hatem-1 was presented for the first time at a military parade held by the Houthis in Sanaa on September 21, 2023.[4] Furthermore, on June 9, 2024, the Iranian Military Group, a Telegram channel that describes itself as "an Iranian military channel in Arabic" and focuses on military and security issues, reported that the Hatem missile that was unveiled at the parade is based on the Iranian medium-range ballistic missile Kheibar Shekan-1.[5]

Pro-Hizbullah Lebanese Daily: Houthis Preparing For 'Fifth Phase' Of Campaign

On June 25, 2024, the Lebanese Al-Akhbar daily quoted "informed military sources in Sanaa" which claimed that the recent Houthi armed forces operations in the Mediterranean Sea, the Red Sea, and the Gulf of Aden, as well as the joint operations carried out by the Houthis and the Islamic Resistance in Iraq[6] against the Haifa Port in Israel, all indicate that the fourth phase of the Houthi military operations, which the group announced on May 3, 2024,[7] is coming to an end. The same sources added that the most-recent escalation in Houthi operations against American military vessels in the Red Sea, and against commercial vessels in the Red Sea, the Arabian Sea, the Gulf of Aden, the Indian Ocean, and the Mediterranean Sea – all signify the start of a new phase of the Houthi campaign which encompasses "new targets, different tactics and a higher threshold than before."

In this context, the daily quoted remarks made by Houthi "Military Expert" Colonel Mujib Shamsan according to which "all signs indicate movement toward the fifth phase" of the war that has been waged by the Houthi armed forces since October 2023, purportedly to assist the Palestinians in Gaza. The colonel further stated that the Houthi forces possess additional strategic weapons that have not yet been introduced into the fighting, beyond the Tawfan 1 Unmanned Surface Vehicle (USV) which sank the Greek ship, the TUTOR.[8] He mentioned the Toufan-2 and Toufan-3 USVs, which, he contended, have not been utilized yet, and said that he believes that they will be very effective against military ships in the near future. He further stated that the Houthis have long-range Glide missiles that can reach the Strait of Hormuz.[9]