South24 Center (Aden)

The National Resistance Forces on Yemen’s West Coast said on Tuesday (August 18) that technical examinations of missile debris recovered following recent Houthi attacks on Al-Mokha and surrounding areas showed that the weapons used were Iranian-made Fateh-110 ballistic missiles.

Sadiq Douid, spokesperson for the National Resistance Forces, said in a statement on X that the missiles use solid fuel, have a range of up to 300 kilometers, and can be launched from mobile platforms or camouflaged trucks.

South24 Center could not independently verify the findings of the technical examinations or the identification of the missile debris.

The Fateh-110 is an Iranian-origin, road-mobile, short-range ballistic missile powered by solid fuel. According to the Center for Strategic and International Studies’ (CSIS) Missile Threat project, several variants of the missile have ranges of between 200 and 300 kilometers, while later members of the Fateh missile family can travel farther.

Douid accused Tehran of “violating international resolutions and continuing to export death to Yemenis,” describing the Houthis as merely “tools of implementation and launching arms” for Iranian weapons.

The announcement comes amid a continuing wave of Houthi missile and drone attacks on Al-Mokha and other areas controlled by Yemen’s internationally recognized government.

The National Resistance, led by Tariq Saleh, the nephew of former Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh, said more than 60 missiles and drones have been launched at military and civilian sites in Al-Mokha since August 9, including its strategic Red Sea port. The former president’s alliance with the Houthis ended with his killing in Sanaa in late 2017.

On August 15, Al-Mokha Port suspended commercial and maritime operations due to the repeated attacks. The port director said the strikes had caused losses estimated at around $16 million.

The latest developments come amid growing concerns that Yemen could return to large-scale war. UN Special Envoy for Yemen Hans Grundberg warned the Security Council on August 13 that the country faced its highest risk of renewed major conflict since the UN-brokered truce of 2022.