Houthis’ Palestine-2 Hypersonic Missile: What We Know So Far

The Palestine-2 missile, a new addition to the Houthi arsenal, has emerged as one of the most advanced weapons in Yemen’s ongoing conflict. Backed by Iranian technology and expertise, the Palestine 2 hypersonic missile reportedly achieved speeds up to Mach 16 and boasts a range exceeding 2,150 kilometers.

This level of performance places it in the elite class of modern ballistic missiles, capable of evading traditional defense systems like Israel’s Iron Dome — a feat that was demonstrated in live strikes on Tel Aviv and Haifa between December 2024 and January 2025.

Unlike previous Houthi projectiles, which were often seen as low-tech and limited in scope, the Palestine 2 missile shows clear signs of foreign technical support, most likely from Iran’s expanding missile development infrastructure. Its dual-stage, solid-fuel propulsion and high maneuverability not only increase strike accuracy but make interception incredibly difficult. As such, this Houthi missile has raised alarms across the region, signaling a major escalation in Yemen’s ability to project power far beyond its borders.

The name “Palestine-2” carries political weight, aligning Yemen’s Ansar Allah (Houthi) movement more closely with the Palestinian cause and signaling broader regional intentions. 

In this post, we’ll explore everything you need to know about this new ballistic threat — from its technical specs to its strategic consequences.

Technical Specifications of the Palestine-2 Missile

The Palestine-2 missile stands out not only because of its political symbolism but because of its advanced technical profile. According to defense analysts and regional reporting, this Houthi hypersonic missile uses a two-stage solid-fuel propulsion system, which allows for a rapid launch sequence and extended operational range. Solid-fuel missiles are preferred in modern warfare due to their low maintenance and quick-response capability—traits that align with the Houthis’ need for mobile, fast-deployable weapons in a conflict zone like Yemen.

What grabs most headlines is the Palestine 2 missile speed, reportedly reaching Mach 16—over 19,000 kilometers per hour. That’s roughly 16 times the speed of sound and places it squarely in the category of hypersonic weapons, which are notoriously difficult to intercept.

At this velocity, early-warning systems have little time to respond, and interceptors must be extremely precise to succeed. This is compounded by the missile’s ability to maneuver mid-flight, making its trajectory unpredictable—an especially dangerous characteristic when confronting static missile defense systems.

The Palestine 2 missile range is another critical factor. With a reach of approximately 2,150 kilometers, the missile is capable of hitting targets throughout Israel and as far as parts of southern Europe, the Persian Gulf, and even U.S. bases across the region.

This strategic reach is a major upgrade from previous Houthi missile models like the Burkan or Quds series, which were limited to several hundred kilometers at best. Combined with its hypersonic speed, the Palestine-2 ballistic missile isn’t just a regional threat—it’s a multi-theater strike platform that could shift the strategic balance well beyond Yemen’s borders.

Strategic Impact

The deployment of the Palestine-2 missile has profoundly altered the military calculus in the Middle East, particularly for Israel and its Western allies. The missile’s successful strikes in late 2024 and early 2025 underscored a critical vulnerability in existing air defense systems, including the much-lauded Iron Dome, David’s Sling, and Arrow-3.

These systems are optimized to intercept traditional ballistic threats, but the speed and maneuverability of the Palestine 2 hypersonic missile make interception far more complex. During the December 2024 Tel Aviv attack, Israeli defense officials admitted the Houthi missile penetrated their multi-layered air shield—an outcome that triggered immediate military reviews and emergency upgrades across the IDF’s missile defense network.

This development doesn’t just threaten Israel. The Palestine 2 ballistic missile demonstrates how non-state actors like the Houthis, with backing from Iran, can now field next-generation weapons that rival those of traditional state militaries. It’s a wake-up call for U.S. forces in the region, particularly those stationed in Gulf states within the missile’s 2,150 km range.

It also raises alarms for Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, both of which have previously been targeted by Houthi missiles and now must consider the implications of facing a weapon capable of hypersonic, evasive strikes. In many ways, the Palestine missile disrupts the strategic deterrence that Gulf states have long enjoyed through Western support and missile shield technologies.

Read also: What Do the Houthis Want? Exploring Their Motives and Ambitions

On a broader level, the emergence of the Palestine-2 missile strengthens the Iranian-led Axis of Resistance, which includes Hezbollah, the Houthis, and various militias in Syria and Iraq. By introducing hypersonic capabilities to this network, Iran effectively exports technological parity to its allies, enabling them to wage high-impact, low-cost warfare against superior conventional forces. The fact that a Houthi hypersonic missile now poses a credible threat to a nuclear-armed, technologically advanced state like Israel is a milestone—one that redefines asymmetrical warfare in the 21st century.

Geopolitical Repercussions

The unveiling and use of the Palestine-2 missile has sent shockwaves through international diplomatic and defense circles. For Israel, this development represents a significant escalation, turning what was once a peripheral threat into a central security concern.

While the Houthis are geographically distant, the Palestine 2 missile range makes proximity irrelevant. Tel Aviv, Haifa, and other critical infrastructure hubs are now within striking distance from rebel-held Yemen, compelling Israeli defense planners to extend their strategic focus far beyond their immediate borders.

For Iran, the Houthi hypersonic missile is a strategic coup. Tehran has long sought to enhance the capabilities of its regional proxies, and the Palestine missile showcases just how far that ambition has progressed. Though Iranian officials have publicly denied direct involvement, the missile’s technical sophistication suggests assistance from Iran’s own hypersonic programs, such as the Fattah missile unveiled in mid-2023. If Iran indeed helped develop the Palestine 2 ballistic missile, it not only elevates the Houthis’ military status but also signals to adversaries that Iranian proxies can serve as effective second-strike tools in any future conflict.

Globally, the missile’s debut has sparked concern among Western powers, particularly the United States. U.S. bases in the Gulf, including Al Udeid in Qatar and Al Dhafra in the UAE, are now within the Palestine 2 missile range. Washington may be forced to invest heavily in upgraded missile defense systems or even reconsider the deployment of hypersonic interceptors in the region.

Meanwhile, Russia and China are closely watching how the West responds to this new form of asymmetric deterrence. The Palestine-2 missile has not just changed battlefield dynamics—it has redefined the geopolitical chessboard in the Middle East.

The Role of Iran in Development

Iran’s fingerprints on the development of the Palestine-2 missile are difficult to ignore. While the Houthis have claimed full responsibility for the weapon, multiple military analysts point to clear technical parallels between the Palestine 2 hypersonic missile and Iranian missile systems such as the Fattah and Dezful series.

These Iranian missiles also feature solid-fuel propulsion, extended range capabilities, and—most notably—hypersonic speeds. Tehran’s deepening relationship with the Houthis, including arms transfers, drone support, and ballistic missile training, has laid the foundation for this technological leap.

Read also: Why Does Iran Support Houthis? A Geopolitical Analysis

The Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has been particularly active in advancing missile capabilities among its regional allies. Leaked intelligence in early 2025 indicated that several IRGC engineers were stationed in Houthi-controlled parts of Yemen under the guise of humanitarian or reconstruction efforts.

Their involvement, according to regional security sources, included guidance system upgrades, aerodynamic testing, and warhead development for what would later become the Palestine-2 missile. Tehran has not publicly acknowledged these reports, but Iranian state media celebrated the missile’s strike on Tel Aviv as a “turning point in resistance warfare.”

By enabling the Houthis to field a hypersonic ballistic missile, Iran is strategically outsourcing its military reach. It allows Tehran to strike Israeli or Western assets indirectly while maintaining plausible deniability. This approach mirrors Iranian support for Hezbollah’s precision-guided missile program in Lebanon, and underscores a broader doctrine: arm regional proxies with disruptive technology to counterbalance superior Western firepower. The Palestine missile is a product of this doctrine—a hypersonic symbol of Iran’s asymmetric warfare strategy unfolding across the Middle East.

Challenges for Missile Defense Systems

The emergence of the Palestine-2 missile presents serious challenges for existing missile defense systems worldwide, particularly those designed to counter ballistic and cruise missiles. The sheer speed of the Palestine 2 hypersonic missile, reaching up to Mach 16, places it far beyond the capabilities of traditional interceptors.

Existing systems like Israel’s Iron Dome and the U.S. Patriot missile defense system are effective against slower, more predictable threats but struggle with the high velocity and maneuverability of hypersonic weapons. The Palestine 2 ballistic missile’s ability to alter its trajectory mid-flight adds an unpredictable element that makes interception exceedingly difficult.

Israel’s multi-layered defense systems, which include the Iron Dome for short-range threats and David’s Sling for medium-range missiles, were specifically developed to counter missiles that follow a ballistic trajectory.

However, the Palestine-2 missile moves so fast and unpredictably that it essentially bypasses these systems’ detection and response windows. According to analysts, intercepting such a fast-moving missile would require entirely new technologies, such as directed-energy weapons or advanced kinetic interceptors, both of which are still in the experimental stages.

Furthermore, the problem is not confined to Israel. The Palestine missile has highlighted vulnerabilities across the Middle East, particularly for U.S. and Gulf allies, many of whom rely on Patriot and THAAD (Terminal High Altitude Area Defense) systems for protection.

While these systems are effective against most conventional threats, their efficacy against hypersonic missile attacks remains uncertain. As Houthi missile capabilities improve and similar threats proliferate, countries in the region may need to invest heavily in developing new defense technologies to keep pace with rapidly evolving missile threats.

Conclusion

The Palestine-2 missile has fundamentally altered the strategic landscape of the Middle East, offering the Houthi movement a sophisticated hypersonic weapon capable of striking key targets at Mach 16 speeds and 2,150 kilometers away.

This missile’s success highlights the vulnerabilities in existing missile defense systems, such as Israel’s Iron Dome, which struggle to intercept hypersonic threats. The missile’s deployment not only shifts regional military dynamics but also underscores how non-state actors, with external support, can challenge conventional state powers.

Iran’s involvement in the development of the Palestine-2 missile exemplifies the growing trend of proxy warfare, where regional players enhance their capabilities through advanced weaponry. The missile’s introduction signals a new era in missile technology and defense, demanding rapid adaptation from nations facing this emerging threat. As the balance of power in the Middle East continues to evolve, the Palestine-2 missile represents both a tactical and geopolitical shift, emphasizing the need for updated defense strategies and international attention.