Houthis announce the development of multi-warhead missiles... a new threat to maritime lanes.

Arab Sea Newspaper - Special

The Houthis announce the development of multi-warhead missiles... a new threat to maritime routes Sana'a - Arabian Sea The leader of the Ansar Allah group (Houthis), Abdul Malik al-Houthi, announced in a televised speech yesterday evening that his missile forces have begun producing new missiles called "Palestine 2," capable of carrying multiple warheads. Al-Houthi said that this step comes within the "strategy of deterrence and protection of maritime routes," in direct reference to the Bab al-Mandab Strait and the Red Sea. The move is a qualitative escalation in the group's military capabilities, as possessing multi-warhead missiles doubles the complexity of the air defense systems it faces and makes the threat more dangerous to commercial and military ships in one of the world's most important maritime routes. Strategic Insight: The Houthi announcement represents a dual message: the first to Israel and its allies that the escalation in Sana'a will be met with a qualitative escalation in the Red Sea; and the second to international powers that the security of global navigation is no longer isolated from the course of the war in Gaza. This strategic card may give the Houthis a stronger negotiating position, but at the same time, it may push Western powers towards more severe steps, including the possibility of expanding military operations in the Red Sea to ensure the continued flow of global trade.