2014 Yemen Civil War

Quds-Z-0 anti-ship cruise missile in the 2014 Yemen Civil War

Houthi-aligned forces publicly fielded the Quds-Z-0 during the 2014 Yemen Civil War, displaying it in Sanaa in September 2023 as a long-range land-to-sea cruise missile for naval and coastal-defense missions.

Weapon profileQuds-Z-0 anti-ship cruise missile
SideHouthi-aligned forcesRoleArea DenialInterdictionLong-Range Strike
Quds-Z-0 anti-ship cruise missile, Anti-ship cruise missile, Munitions - 2014 Yemen Civil War
Image source: Sacred Defence Week parade, 2023, in Tehran (107).jpg

Evidence Map

ClaimSources
Houthi-aligned forces publicly fielded the Quds-Z-0 in Sanaa during the 2014 Yemen Civil War.

Sources: SABA Sanaa Parade Report, IISS Sanaa and Tehran Missile Surprises, CTC Houthi War Effort

The system was presented as a long-range land-to-sea cruise missile for anti-naval use.

Sources: SABA Sanaa Parade Report

Independent analysis identifies Quds-Z-0 as a Quds/Paveh-family anti-shipping variant with an electro-optical or infrared seeker.

Sources: IISS Houthi Anti-Ship Missile Systems, CTC Houthi War Effort, METIS Quds Z-0

Public sources do not establish a specific Quds-Z-0 ship strike in this conflict record.

Sources: CTC Houthi War Effort

Timeline

Quds-Z-0 anti-ship cruise missile In 2014 Yemen Civil War

  1. Quds-Z-0 appears in Sanaa parade

    Houthi-aligned forces displayed the Quds-Z-0 during a large Sanaa military parade held on the anniversary of their 2014 takeover of the capital.

    Sources: IISS Sanaa and Tehran Missile Surprises, Washington Institute Coup Anniversary

  2. Houthi-aligned media names the missile

    SABA reported that the parade included the Quds Z-0 and described it as a long-range land-to-sea cruise missile for anti-naval use.

    Sources: SABA Sanaa Parade Report

  3. CTC identifies the anti-shipping variant

    CTC Sentinel identified Quds-Z-0 as an electro-optical-seeker anti-shipping variant adapted from the Quds-series land-attack cruise-missile family and shown at Houthi parades in 2022-2023.

    Sources: CTC Houthi War Effort

Documented Use

Direct proof of use

The Quds-Z-0 is documented in the 2014 Yemen Civil War through Houthi-aligned public fielding in Sanaa. Yemen's SABA news agency reported that the September 2023 military parade in Al-Sabeen Square included the Quds Z-0 missile and described it as a long-range land-to-sea cruise missile intended for anti-naval use against fixed and moving land and sea targets.

IISS separately identified the same September 21, 2023 Sanaa parade as the public appearance of the Quds Z-0 and assessed it as a Quds/Paveh-family missile with an electro-optical or infrared seeker. CTC Sentinel later listed Quds-Z-0 as one of the newer Houthi anti-shipping variants adapted from Quds-series land-attack cruise missiles shown at Houthi parades in 2022-2023.

Sources: SABA Sanaa Parade Report, IISS Sanaa and Tehran Missile Surprises, CTC Houthi War Effort

Timeline

On September 21, 2023, Houthi-aligned forces held a large military parade in Sanaa marking the anniversary of their 2014 takeover of the capital. The parade occurred while the wider Yemen civil war remained unresolved and after the 2022 truce had lowered, but not ended, hostilities.

SABA's September 24 account named the Quds Z-0 among newly revealed missile systems and placed it with naval missiles and other cruise and ballistic missile systems. Later open-source analysis treated the display as part of the Houthis' expanding anti-shipping missile portfolio rather than proof of a named Quds-Z-0 strike.

Sources: SABA Sanaa Parade Report, Washington Institute Coup Anniversary, CTC Houthi War Effort

Narrative

Within the Yemen war, the Quds-Z-0 fits the Houthi-aligned forces' coastal and maritime strike posture. The public description emphasized a land-to-sea cruise missile, while independent defense analysis connected the system to the Iranian Paveh/Quds family and separated it from the related Sayyad anti-ship cruise missile by seeker type.

The available record supports fielding and display by Houthi-aligned forces, not confirmed attribution for an individual ship strike. CTC Sentinel's April 2024 assessment noted that the Houthi anti-ship cruise-missile arsenal had expanded since 2015, but also distinguished parade-displayed newer systems from the anti-ship cruise missile type then strongly associated with a specific attack.

Sources: SABA Sanaa Parade Report, IISS Houthi Anti-Ship Missile Systems, CTC Houthi War Effort, METIS Quds Z-0

Related Weapons by Role

Quds-1 land-attack cruise missile, Land-attack cruise missile, MunitionsMunitionsQuds-1 land-attack cruise missileLand-attack cruise missileThe Quds-1 is a Houthi land-attack cruise missile publicly displayed in Yemen in July 2019 and identified by U.S. sources as the 351 land-attack cruise missile. Open-source and UN-linked analysis describes a compact, ground-launched cruise missile powered by a TJ100-type turbojet and tied to Iranian design and supply networks despite Houthi claims of indigenous development. In the 2014 Yemen Civil War, Houthi-aligned forces used the Quds-1 for long-range strikes against Saudi airport, desalination, and oil-infrastructure targets.
Al-Mandab-2 anti-ship cruise missile, Anti-ship cruise missile, MunitionsMunitionsAl-Mandab-2 anti-ship cruise missileAnti-ship cruise missileAl-Mandab-2 is a Houthi designation for an anti-ship cruise missile displayed in 2022 and associated by UN, defense, and component-analysis sources with the C-802-derived Iranian Noor/Ghader/Ghadir family. Houthi-affiliated media claimed a seven-meter missile with a 300-kilometer range and micro-turbojet propulsion, while outside assessments differ on whether the public evidence best matches Ghader, Ghadir, or a broader C-802 derivative.
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Sources