By Al-Fassel | 2024-03-18

As the Houthis escalate threats to commercial shipping, Russian state media have published a report of questionable veracity and intention that claims the Iran-backed group has a hypersonic missile in its arsenal.

Following the report from Russian state news agency RIA Novosti -- which made the claim, citing an unnamed official -- the United States said there is "absolutely no indication" that the Houthis have a hypersonic missile.

Iran claimed to unveil its first hypersonic missile in June 2023, and Russia has used them in its ongoing assault on Ukraine.

By disseminating news that the Houthis have such a missile, the Kremlin may be trying to boost international perception of the Houthis' prowess, observers said.

This raises the question of what the Kremlin would stand to gain from doing so.

News of the new hypersonic missile comes as the Houthis' leader, Abdul Malik al-Houthi, on March 14 announced that the group would start targeting ships heading toward the Cape of Good Hope at the southernmost tip of Africa.

To date, the group has largely struck ships heading into the Red Sea in the vicinity of Bab al-Mandeb strait, the Washington Post reported.

"Such an escalation would target the longer, alternative route used by some vessels," the newspaper said, adding that "it remains unclear how [the Houthis] would carry any possible assault out."

By reporting that the Houthis have a hypersonic missile, which would potentially enable them to carry out an attack at a longer range, Russia appears to be underscoring the Houthis' threats of delivering "surprises" for the battles at sea, observers said.

It is notable that the Russian state media's report comes as Iran's allies Russia and China continue to benefit from the Red Sea disruption.

The Houthis have given special dispensation to Russian and Chinese vessels, promising them safe passage through the Red Sea, even as they attack the ships of many other nations.

Suggestions that the Houthis have new missile capabilities at a time when the group is escalating its threats to all vessels except for those of Russia and China are very likely self-serving on the part of the Kremlin, observers said.

"There's absolutely no indication that the Houthis have access to a hypersonic weapon," US National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said March 14.

Even if the Houthis did have such a weapon in their arsenal, observers said, it is likely they would have received it from their backer, Iran, or Iran's ally, Russia.