Ansarallah’s maritime operations against Israeli-linked shipping just expanded into the Mediterranean Sea, the Eurasian waterway NATO has long considered its own domain, home to Israel’s oil and gas platforms, and the site of Washington’s new ‘aid pier’ ploy.
In support of Gaza, Yemen’s Ansarallah-aligned armed forces executed their first direct operation against Israel on 18 October 2023. That operation involved cruise missiles and drones targeting the port of Eilat in southern occupied Palestine and came less than two weeks after the Palestinian resistance’s Operation Al-Aqsa Flood flipped the script in West Asia.
Similar attacks ensued in rapid fire, with further warnings from the Yemeni military that it would “continue to carry out qualitative strikes with missiles and drones until the Israeli aggression stops.” One month later, amidst Tel Aviv’s worsening carnage in Gaza, Sanaa commenced its targeting of Israeli-linked and destined shipping vessels in the Red Sea, effectively blocking their passage through the Bab al-Mandab Strait.
‘Phased’ maritime operations
This marked Yemen’s first phase of a meticulously planned series of naval operations. The second phase saw a broader prohibition, blocking ships from any country from approaching Israeli ports – a waterway siege, just as Yemen has endured for eight long years. Sanaa’s scope of operations then broadened in the third phase to include the Indian Ocean, targeting Israeli vessels navigating the much longer Cape of Good Hope route – around the African continent – to deliver goods to the occupation state.
Israel’s shipping route before and after Yemen’s blockade
As tensions escalated, and to protect Israel, US and British naval forces cobbled together a ramshackle coalition of non-Arab states, Operation Prosperity Guardian, to strike Yemen – a country already ravaged by almost a decade of US-backed Saudi–UAE bombardment and siege.
This provoked a forceful and immediate response from Yemeni forces, who extended their target range to include US and British naval assets and, later, to expand their operational theater to the vast Indian Ocean.
But as Israel’s threats to invade and bombard Rafah intensified in recent days, Sanaa announced the start of a fourth phase of escalation, a significant ramp-up in their military response.
This phase will target Israeli ships or those heading to Israeli ports in the Mediterranean Sea and impose comprehensive sanctions on all vessels linked to companies that frequent the occupied state’s ports. Furthermore, the measures will be applied to all shipping vessels and companies that deliver goods to Israel, regardless of their final destinations. This effectively bars them from all Yemeni operational waterways.
The declaration of this fourth phase is a clear signal of widening the conflict zone to include the Mediterranean and tightening the siege on Israel, which economically depends on sea trade. It poses a renewed challenge to Tel Aviv and its allies, increasing pressure, particularly on Washington and its European partners.
Yemen’s scope of operations against Israeli shipping
Advancement of military capabilities
Sanaa’s strategic move is timed with ongoing ceasefire negotiations involving Hamas, which faces intense pressure to accept terms favorable to Israel, and is part of a broader strategy to influence political outcomes far beyond Yemen’s borders.
The Yemeni “circle of fire” – its maritime reach – now encompasses the Red Sea, the Arabian Sea, the Gulf of Aden, the Indian Ocean, and the Mediterranean Sea. On land, Sanaa’s focus is on impacting Israel’s geographic depth, particularly its southern regions which abut the Red Sea.
In multiple speeches, Ansarallah leader Abdul Malik al-Houthi has emphasized Yemen’s staggering advances in military capabilities, both quantitatively and qualitatively. These advancements are made possible by various factors, most notably the real-world testing of their arsenal.
Recent broadcasts showcased a distant suicide drone targeting a ship in the Red Sea, equipped with a camera on its nose. Additionally, there has been significant Yemeni progress in the use of winged and ballistic missiles: according to military analysts, for the first time in history, anti-ship ballistic missiles were deployed against seaborne vessels, a qualitative advancement in Ansarallah’s military bag of tricks.
Sanaa’s strategic rise
Speaking to The Cradle, Brigadier General Mujib Shamsan, Chairman of the Yemeni Military Spokesmen’s Committee for the Media, says that Sanaa benefited from its operations and confrontation with American and British forces to fast-track its capabilities.
This is clearly evident through the comparison between the operations it carried out at the beginning of its decisions up to the end. Operations in the Gulf of Aden, the Arabian Sea, and the Indian Ocean, where it was able to accumulate and develop its capabilities continuously, whether at the level of missile force, unmanned air force, or other naval weapons, thus bypassing various American defense systems, learning many tactics regarding confronting them, and even bringing it to a state of failure.
The failings of the two western coalitions dedicated to thwarting Yemen’s siege of Israel have become apparent to all.
Since early April, various European naval commanders have thrown their hands up in full public view.
Jerome Henry, commander of France’s Aquitaine-class FREMM frigate Alsace – deployed in the Red Sea for 71 straight days – said on 11 April that his ship had depleted its entire combat arsenal, and while it would head to port to replenish those munitions, would return to face an impossible mission:
We didn’t necessarily expect this level of threat. There was an uninhibited violence that was quite surprising and very significant. [The Yemenis] do not hesitate to use drones that fly at water level, to explode them on commercial ships, and to fire ballistic missiles.
“We had to carry out at least half a dozen assistances following [Yemeni] strikes,” Henry told French publication Le Figaro.
Also in early April, Rear Admiral Vasileios Gryparis, the Greek commander of the EU’s Operation Aspides, warned that his mission would not succeed with only three warships available to protect shipments through the Bab al-Mandab Strait. Since “the launch of the Operation Aspides on 19 February 2024 until now, the threat level remains the same,” lamented Gryparis.
Yemeni Brigadier-General Shamsan points out that the US defense system failures, and growing risks faced by the anti-Yemen naval coalitions, have “forced it and its allies to withdraw more than 18 ships from the theater of operations, as the number of American ships that left reached 10, while eight ships belonging to European tools left.”
Shamsan says the rapid development of Sanaa’s military capabilities during the ongoing war has positioned Yemen as a pivotal player not only regionally but globally, owing to its strategic position overseeing one of the world’s most crucial maritime passages.
As Ansarallah’s phase four operations commence in the Mediterranean Sea, Shamsan declares that Yemen has now effectively implemented a maritime blockade and economic stranglehold on Israel, which heavily relies on sea routes for the vast majority of its imports.
This blockade, in turn, represents a significant leverage point against both Tel Aviv and its western allies, which have failed to protect their interests in the Red Sea or counteract Sanaa’s embargo on ships entering the ports of the occupation state.
Far from being a mere political and military backwater, Yemen has demonstrated far-reaching military capabilities and impressive strategic planning that has confounded the world’s greatest naval powers. Sanaa’s formidable maneuvers in West Asian maritime zones have catapulted it to the forefront of the region’s Axis of Resistance as the member most capable of influencing global maritime security and regional stability.
As the US and its allies rally around their newly constructed “aid pier” on Gaza’s Mediterranean coastline to, as many suspect, consolidate the area as a future site for US military operations and protect Israel’s oil and gas platforms, Yemen is emerging as a frontline adversary in that far-flung theater.
The views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect those of The Cradle.
Saree outlined three measures: targeting violating ships, immediate implementation, and imposing sanctions on ships related to supplying occupied Palestinian ports if “Israel” invades Rafah.
Spokesman for the Yemeni Armed Forces Yahya Saree on Friday announced a new stage in escalations that involves the targeting of ships heading to Israeli ports from the Mediterranean Sea.
“We announce the implementation of the fourth phase of escalation by targeting ships moving towards occupied Palestinian ports,” Saree said.
رداً على استمرار الحرب على #غزة.. القوات المسلحة اليمنية تعلن بدأ المرحلة الرابعة من التصعيد
Saree outlined three measures: targeting violating ships, immediate implementation, and imposing sanctions on ships related to supplying occupied Palestinian ports if “Israel” invades Rafah.
“First, the targeting of all ships that violate the ban decision of Israeli navigation and that heading to the ports of occupied Palestine from the Mediterranean Sea in any reachable area within our ample zone. Second, implementation of this comes into effect immediately and from the moment this statement is announced,” Saree said in a statement.
The spokesman noted that the Yemeni resistance will carry out attacks against ships heading towards Israeli ports.
“Third: If the Israeli enemy intends to launch an aggressive military operation against Rafah, the Yemeni Armed forces will impose comprehensive sanctions on all ships and companies that are related to supplying and entering the occupied Palestinian ports of any nationality and will prevent all ships of these companies from passing through the armed forces’ operation zone, regardless of their destination,” he added.
An initial warning was issued yesterday by the leader of the Ansar Allah movement Sayyed Abdul-Malik al-Houthi.
During a speech, Al-Houthi said that Sanaa is making preparations for a new round of escalation if the Israeli occupation continues its aggression against the Gaza Strip.
He also made a review of achievements by the Yemeni armed forces during the week, which amounted to 8 operations in the Gulf of Aden and the Arabian Sea, all the way to the Indian Ocean and southern occupied Palestine.
On Wednesday, Ansarallah Political Bureau member Ali Al-Qahoum warned that any military base or territory used as a launching point for US, UK, and Israeli aggression against Yemen be deemed a “primary” target for Yemen, and will thus expand “theater of operations and the target bank to include strategic and vital targets in depth and in economically significant areas.”
On the same day, the Supreme Council said that the consequences of Western and Israeli aggressions would extend beyond Yemen’s borders.
For months, the Yemenis have been responding to Israeli military actions in the Gaza Strip by attacking military and commercial vessels linked to the Israeli occupation regime in the areas surrounding Yemen.
In response to the attacks, the US formed a coalition under its leadership coalition to stop Yemeni operations, an effort which failed to this moment.
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Yahya Saree’s statement: A disaster for Israel. Sana’a announces the expansion of its operations towards the Mediterranean and the complete closure of Bab al-Mandab
Evening | Axis of resistance… raising the ceiling of confrontation 05-03-2024
In an exclusive interview with Al Mayadeen, the Commander of the IRGC’s Navy, Alireza Tangsiri discusses Iran’s development as a world power, the efforts of the Axis of Resistance to champion and defend Gaza, and the fate of “Israel” and its allies.
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Al Mayadeen conducted an interview, which was broadcast on Tuesday, with the commander of the IRGC’s Navy, Admiral Alireza Tangsiri. You can find the full, translated text of the Admiral’s answers below:
I welcome you here, as well as our dear viewers, and welcome to the city of Bandar Abbas and the Strait of Hormuz.
Following the Islamic Revolution’s victory, Washington imposed a complete embargo on Iran, which did not own any material capabilities at the time. Most of our equipment and arsenal were US-made. Later, they would embroil us in an inadequate war against Saddam’s regime, in addition to an abundance of internal conflicts. However, with the grace of God, we managed to persevere and move forward after eight years of war, which prepared us for the upcoming confrontations.
Despite the embargo, sanctions, and economic predicaments Iran was faced with, it was able to advance in multiple military fields, build up its combat strength, manpower, special military training, and manufacture its own equipment.”
“Right now, we are at a level that allows us to export weapons, including rockets, warships, and radars, to naval forces, defense ministries, and armed forces, and we take pride in this capability, which makes rocket and ship manufacturing possible amid the embargo. We also take pride in the size, speed, assimilation, and resistive characteristics of our home-produced ships, which expedites their abilities throughout maritime battles.”
“Today, after over 40 years, we have emerged as a world power, and are the primary decision-makers in West Asia, whether it’s derived from the quality of our manufactured equipment or the preparedness of our armed forces. Today, we are proud to say that Iran is at the forefrontin regional power, and produces all it needs to defend its sovereignty,” he said.
On ‘Israel’s’ crushing defeat in Gaza
Speaking on the genocide in Gaza, Tangsiri described “Israel’s” extensive war as “heinous crimes against the oppressed yet brave and resilient Gaza”.
He revisited the Israeli war objectives from the war and affirmed that the occupation did not manage to achieve a single one.
In detail, the Rear Admiral said:
“They claim three determinants for their success in Gaza:
1. Defeating Hamas, but Hamas is stronger than ever, and sustained fewer losses.
2. The people’s desperation and hopelessness; but look at the highly spirited people in Gaza, who have lost their homes and their loved ones but remained resilient and faithful. The Zionists failed to break Gaza’s defiant and steadfast spirit.
3. The swift elimination of Gaza; but the entire world opposes the Zionists today. The “army” that claimed to be the strongest in West Asia, and third strongest in the world, being supported by the US military with aid and developed weapons used in modern wars, employed to kill Gazan children, has failed to achieve victory, whether militarily, politically, or socially.”
When asked about how such an entity could be fought, Tangsiri stressed the importance of Muslim unity.
“The only way to fight the Zionists is through the formation of an Islamic power and a coalition of Islamic armies. To quote Imam Khomeini, may his soul rest in peace, If every Muslim poured a bucket of water on Israel, it would be washed away.Unfortunately, this isn’t the case. Here, I speak to all Muslim nations that think they would attain greater glory by counting on the Zionists’ friendship. The solution to removing the corruptive and criminal parasite is the unification of all Muslim nations and their armies. If we were united, we could bring an end to it. But this is not what is happening. The Zionists are not only treating Muslims this monstrously but have also shown our Christian brothers and sisters no mercy.
They destroyed churches and massacred Christians in Lebanon. The Zionists are not merciful towards anyone, not even their own supporters.
Unfortunately, the Zionists are striking Muslims with warplanes loaded with fuel supplied by Muslim nations. This is a disgrace, and the solution remains in unity against Zionism to ultimately remove it from existence.”
Iran advocates security in region
Tangsiri also detailed the West’s interests in the region, specifically the United States, and emphasized that Iran has always sought peace and security in the spirit of good neighborliness. However, he did not shy away from condemning the actions Iran’s neighboring countries have undertaken, particularly inviting Zionists into the region.
During talks with neighboring countries regarding the Strait of Hormuz, our message has always been that of peace and friendliness. Iran suffered under the oppression of a tyrant, so it revolted and offered martyrs in the quest for victory, but since then, we have been faced with the enmity of those same countries, as well as the United States and more. The US Army has now come to the Strait of Hormuz and the Persian Gulf, but they do not belong in our waters. We previously told our neighbors that the Persian Gulf and Oman’s Sea are national concerns of both them and Iran and that Iran’s security is theirs. We told them the West does not want this region to be stable or secure. The West considers these countries as a “milk cow”, but when the milk runs out, as in oil and gas resources in the region, it would slaughter us.
“Therefore, we have always advocated for the security of the region, and have assured that we can host joint military exercises in the Strait, in collaboration with our brothers from the Persian Gulf’s neighboring countries. We can maintain the region’s peace and security. Our oil and gas terminals are close to those of the neighboring countries. If we really wanted to, we could close these waterways down.
But we do not do this, because as long as we use this waterway and strait, then our neighbors would also have to, and should. But they have to recognize that we will not accept the presence of Zionist supporters in their governments because this is considered a security threat to Iran. We hope they do not make such errors, and reconsider their choices. Should the enemy come and restrain us, and act provocatively in an attempt to incite change in the region, then that is a different issue, to which a different decision would be made, at a later time.
Zionists in countries neighboring Iran
He revealed that Iran is now the main proponent for security of the region and that of the Hormuz Strait, and the constant traffic of more than 85 tankers carrying oil and gas cargo that safely pass through the strait every day.
However, he revealed that the arrival of the Zionists to the region, and their settlement within countries neighboring Iran, does not speak to peace or good neighborliness.
“Iran has relations with Arab countries, and the seven nations of Oman, the UAE, Qatar, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and Iraq, but bringing Zionists to our region… We know full well that they do not come for economic purposes or to establish bilateral relations between those countries and the child-killing criminals the world has begun rejecting.”
“What does it mean for a country to take pride in welcoming Zionists to the region?”, he asked.
“What are we to understand from such a gesture to us, to a country whose sea spans the entire length of the Persian Gulf, to a country that has beaches in the sea of Oman, to a country with such glory and greatness? Should we not consider this a threat? Is bringing Zionists to a neighboring country not a threat? They should acknowledge that if harm comes in our country’s way, then the place they came from will cease to exist. If they [neighboring countries] were indeed looking for security, then they would know that there is no room for Zionists in the region.
“I assure you, once again, that we would not attack a Muslim country unless it attacked us… Before the Islamic Revolution’s triumph, Iran had a Ministry of War. Today, we have a Ministry of Defense instead, which signifies that we would not attack any country if we were not attacked or conspired against. Those who choose to conspire and attack us though, will receive a hard blow, just like Saddam and his movement did.
“Therefore, we do not make threats and do not accept threats. Sometimes, a threat is merely speech. The Zionists’ presence in neighboring countries, which we fully acknowledge is not for economic purposes, but rather military and security ones, is a threat that should not materialize. This is a consideration we should always keep in mind.
US forces present in our neighbors’ waters
On the role of the US in the region, Tangsiri affirmed that it is but a plot to incite rifts and destabilize the region and its peace.
The US forces, he stated, are not present in Iran’s waters or territory. However, they are unfortunately present in Iran’s neighbors’ waters, not international ones.
“The United States should realize that the Persian Gulf is not an international sea, but Iran’s and its neighboring countries’. The US does not sail in international waters strait passing through our islands. We are constantly monitoring them, their movements, actions, and behavior. Our naval mission, under the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, is to defend our facilities in the Persian Gulf. We believe that if they enter the region, with their nuclear equipment, then the waters would not be viable for use for years after. We would be the ones affected by their presence.
But it is of their nature to create enemies, why? First, for weapons. And for an excuse to sell weapons. If there was no enemy to fight, then the region would not need weapons. Second, to ensure their presence in the region… If they did not claim an enemy was present in the region, then they would not need to remain in it. If they did, then it would be unjustifiable.
“Therefore, the constant sales of arms and weapons and their illegal presence in the region necessitates their claim of Iran being an enemy to its neighboring countries. If one of these countries gets attacked tomorrow, they will set fire to this land, leave it, and leave us affected. Which is why we should all remain careful and wary.”
The Resistance’s Mission
When asked about the Axis of Resistance, its emergence, and its role in the region, the IRGC commander stated that the Resistance’s mission has always been to champion Palestine and its liberation against “Israel” and its allies.
“The Axis of Resistance has always responded to threats in defense of the Palestinian people, because their lands are occupied and because Gaza’s resilient people are oppressed. We had never seen a people as resistant as that of Gaza. Countries backing the Zionists should be ashamed of themselves. The US supplied the Zionists with special bombs, which were dropped on women and children in Gaza. France, Britain, and others rushed to back the criminal, dirty, malicious, and child-killing Netanyahu… I do not know, are they really human? Do they call themselves human? A little child in fear, and shaking like that… a torn up child and a mother holding her children… I saw a father holding his martyred children in his hands… These countries are only helping this criminal. I believe the blood of over 14,000 children and women and all those innocents will seek retribution for their sins and will be the reason for “Israel’s” demise and end.
Their message was clear: Defend the occupation. And they announced the reason for their presence in the region in the Mediterranean and the Red Sea. If you recall, in the early days of the war, a US aircraft carrier traveled through the Strait of Gibraltar and remained stationed in the Mediterranean.
What is the message it is carrying? That it intends to defend the Israeli occupation, which marks an eternal disgrace for them [the US]. The United States, in all its might – as it claims – and capabilities, and Britain and its capabilities, as well as France… They all came to murder innocent people. How could they raise their heads high as a moral army? Every army has pride, but it comes from respecting and adhering to the laws of war. But this is not a war. This is a people, in a very small land, surrounded and defenseless. But God is with them, and through Him, they will prevail.
At the start of this interview, I noted that the Zionists are so far defeated, and have not achieved any of their war objectives. Did they retrieve their captives? No. Did they destroy Hamas? No. Were they able to achieve their goal of victory? No, they did not emerge victorious, defeat Hamas, or release the hostages. So, they lost. It has been six months. And we cannot forget that six Arab Muslim nations did not achieve victory in the six-day war,” the leader reiterated.
Yemen, Hezbollah role in war
During the interview, Tangsiri was also asked about Yemen and Hezbollah’s role in the war against “Israel”.
To that, he stated that Hezbollah today is heroic, it is far stronger than it was at the beginning of the war, but until this moment, Hezbollah has not responded to the Zionist enemy, and were it to respond, it would have been an onslaught. Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah had previously announced that Hezbollah’s response would be fierce. Yemen today is much more solid than before, and Iraq and Iraqi Hezbollah are far stronger than before… The Resistance movements that surround the Zionist entity are the more powerful…
He called for trust in the Resistance, saying, “Do not worry about the Resistance; it is today capable of doing everything, and it is far stronger than it was in the earlier days of the war.”
Attack on Iranian consulate
Commenting on the Israeli attack on the Iranian consulate in Syria, he denounced the deliberate airstrike and highlighted the West’s hypocrisy in that regard.
According to Tangsiri, this crime did not happen in any other war. Embassies are meant to be safe places and are considered the territory of their respective countries. In that embassy, there were not only military advisors, but also women, children, and men.
“This attack is a crime. First of all, if we had done this, which we would never have, they would have strongly condemned us for committing such a crime. Look at the world, at the Europeans who watch these crimes and support themost corrupt people, and at the US which plays a very democratic and liberating role… We expected the United Nations to confront this crime more firmly, but they paved the way for us to do away with this ugliness.”
He also reaffirmed that Iran intends to respond to “Israel” for its crime.
“As our dear leader said, it will be responded to, but we do not act impulsively or hastily. We are not the kind of people who turn the other cheek after being hit. At the appropriate time, the relevant officials will deliver a strong blow, God willing. At the head of our armed forces is a scholar who knows God, is patient, wise, and rational and logically governs the Iranian armed forces. We act and respond when we see fit. But we will definitely respond, and as the leader said, we will not leave the matter unanswered.
“We are a force ready for battle. We are military men. We are ready for any mission they order us to carry out. Do you expect me to say what we will do? That is not correct. We are 100% ready for any order that may be issued. Today, the naval forces of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps and our heroic army are ready to pluck out the eye of anyone who wants to harm our country and will carry out the orders that may be issued at the appropriate time.”
Western powers have brought in their ships to support the occupation, but the brave Yemenis withstood against them. As our leader said, if Yemen was not under siege, we would have certainly aided it. Yemen today produces its own artillery, missiles, and boats, and is standing strong against the enemies, against the US and Britain, in support of the oppressed people of Palestine and Gaza.
Glorious Yemen
Discussing Yemen’s development as a Resistance power as well, Tangsiri said that after eight years of an imposed and harsh war against the country, Ansar Allah, and the Yemeni Army, it has now reached a level where it can confront great powers such as the United States.
He said that Ansar Allah is manufacturing missiles and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and has established a naval force, despite the embargo and sanctions imposed on the country.
Sayyed Abdul-Malik al-Houthi affirmed that they could target the West’s ships, even if they were in Southern Africa. Today, Tangsiri said, Ansar Allah is targeting ships 600, 700, and even 1,000 kilometers away. Day after day, Ansar Allah keeps developing its capabilities. There are brave men taking control of the force and defending their country.
He stressed Yemen’s independence from Iran despite being allied and part of the Axis of Resistance, against claims that Resistance factions in the region serve as Iran’s proxies.
“Yemen is an independent country, and the Resistance is an independent force that was born to crush oppression. Yemen and its Resistance do not wait for our orders, but we are indeed concerned with the Resistance.
“We love the Palestinians, and we support anyone who takes a stance against oppression and struggles in the fight for the cause. We saw injustice in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and although we did not have common borders with them, and their population included both Muslims and non-Muslims, we helped them and offered them moral support, and never fell short in the help we could offer. We stand with the oppressed. We love and appreciate the men of the Resistance in Yemen, and take pride in them. The Islamic world must take pride in them. They do not need a force that leads them, because they have a leader. Just like Hezbollah has a leader, and Yemen and Iraq have leaders, and they act based on their interests. They have enough wisdom to know when and how to act.”
The Final Message
Before concluding the interview, the IRGC admiral called on Muslim nations, specifically those neighboring Iran, and said ‘Life is fleeting, and if we do not defend those that are oppressed, we will be asked about it on Judgment Day. I am addressing Muslim leaders who own the means of governing. Take the opportunity, because while Christians and followers of other religions protest in solidarity with Gaza, it is a disgrace that Arab countries do not hold such marches and protests.’
I also wish to address the leaders that are fueling the Zionist enemy’s jetplanes… [How can] they take our oil and turn it into fuel for a bomb they drop over the heads of Muslims who say ‘There is no god but God, God is great, and God is sufficient for us’? Are they not the people that are dropping bombs on Gaza’s people? The war will end, and God willing, The people of Gaza will emerge victorious. But what have we offered during this time?
“We ask God to raise the martyrs of Gaza and the Resistance, whether in our dear Lebanon, dear Iraq, or dear Yemen, to where the prophet of God and his holy Imams rest.”
In his last address to the Al Mayadeen crew conducting the interview, he expressed his thanks, saying “I profoundly thank you, particularly for coming here twice. Forgive us for the warm weather, and perhaps the circumstances were more difficult for you, but we fully know that your cameras are important, and powerful, just like Al Mayadeen. It is the voice of the oppressed, and you represent their voices. God willing, He will note what you have done for the oppressed, and you will hold your heads high before the Resistance’s martyrs and the oppressed people of Gaza.”
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Dimitri Lascaris’ report on the Israeli occupation’s port settlement of “Eilat” reveals the severe impact of the Yemeni Armed Forces’ operations on the Israeli occupation’s economy.
Dimitri Lascaris, a Canadian lawyer and journalist, visited the Israeli occupation’s port settlement of “Eilat” on March 17 through 18 and reported that the Yemeni operations conducted by the Yemeni Armed Forces have indeed left the port settlement devoid of any cargo ships.
“There are no cargo ships here, no tankers [visible],” said Lascaris.
According to Lascaris, “All indications” point to the fact that “the attacks on Red Sea shipping by the Ansar Allah movement continued to have dramatic impacts on this particular port facility.”
The Canadian lawyer further underscored that the settlement is “far away from the major population centers of Israel,” adding that “it’s also not served by rail, at least not yet.”
This means that the Red Sea blockade against the Israeli occupation and in defense of the Gaza Strip has actually choked the settlement, which had no way around due to the lack of rail routes.
Through “Eilat”, “Israel” imports vehicles from Asia and delivers and temporarily stores oil cargo.
“There is almost no one on those beaches,” Lascaris reported, adding that there is “no indication of any tourism here.” Even kiosks and shops appear to be shut down, at this time of year, on a Sunday.
This is especially significant given that “Eilat” has been dubbed by Israeli media as a touristic destination.
“It certainly does seem quiet here.”
My latest:
I just visited Israel’s Red Sea port to see how attacks on commercial shipping by Yemen’s Ansar Allah (supporters of God) had affected maritime traffic to and from Eilat, Israel.
Discussing the topic of the Israeli occupation’s economy, the journalist said that in the first two months of Operation Al-Aqsa Flood, the economy has shrunk by 20%, adding that “it may well have shrunk further since then.”
The journalist referred to a statement by the head of the port facility in December 2023, saying, “Maritime traffic in Eilat had plummeted by some 85% due to the attacks.”
Lascaris, who chose to remain in “Eilat” overnight, also reported “no commercial shipping activity whatsoever in Israeli waters or at the Israeli port.”
Concluding his report, Lascaris proclaimed, “If Israel and its backers are seriously interested in bringing an end to the severe damage to the Israeli economy, there’s one simple, straightforward, and morally correct course of action to pursue in that regard, and that is to put a stop to the genocidal assault on Gaza and, frankly, the criminal assaults on the West Bank as well.”
YAF hit US oil tanker, ‘Eilat’
Earlier on Tuesday, the spokesperson for the Yemeni Armed Forces (YAF), Brigadier General Yahya Saree, announced that the YAF Navy targeted the American oil tanker MADO in the Red Sea using appropriate naval missiles.
“Our forces fired several winged missiles at Israeli targets in the Umm al-Rashrash region in southern occupied Palestine,” he added.
He stressed that these operations come in support of the Palestinian people, who are still facing Israeli aggression and siege, and in response to the US and British aggression on Yemen.
Al-Houthi: Our ops. hit Indian Ocean, to be expanded to Cape Route
Meanwhile, the leader of the Yemeni Ansar Allah movement, Sayyed Abdul al-Malik al-Houthi, declared on March 14 that the Yemeni Armed Forces are heading toward expanding the scope of their operations conducted against the Israeli occupation forces’ war on the Gaza Strip.
Sayyed al-Houthi’s announcement will reverberate across global politics, as he underlined that the YAF is heading toward launching attacks on vessels in the Indian Ocean that have been redirected toward the Cape of Good Hope Route, following attacks on merchant and military vessels affiliated with the tripartite Alliance of Evil of the United States, the United Kingdom, and “Israel”.
Avoiding missile and drone attacks from the Yemeni Navy in the Red Sea and the Arabian Sea, ships heading toward Israeli-occupied ports have opted for the longer route of circling the African continent, paralyzing the Israeli-occupied port in Um al-Rashrash or “Eilat”.
“Our Yemeni Armed Forces will carry on the Battle of the Promised Conquest and Holy Jihad in support of the Palestinian people in Gaza,” the leader of the Ansar Allah emphasized on Thursday.
“Operations targeting Israeli-affiliated vessels and ships affiliated with the American and British sides are ongoing with high effectiveness,” he revealed.
Ansar Allah fighters stage a rally against the U.S. government designating Ansar Allah as a terror group and against the U.S.-led sustained airstrikes on Yemen, near Sanaa, Yemen, January 25, 2024. (AP)
An opinion piece published in Bloomberg details the significant challenges the Yemenis pose against the Western maritime coalition, giving them the upper hand in battle.
A recent op-ed published by Bloomberg detailed the considerations the West must take into account in its war on Yemen and schooled the West on the challenges it has to face before declaring itself victorious against a movement it cannot catch up to, Yemen’s Ansar Allah.
Throughout the confrontations between Ansar Allah and the foreign infiltrative coalition in the Red Sea, author Marc Champion reflects on the military advancements the Yemenis possess. The Yemenis revolutionized the battlefield by utilizing enhanced weapons such as precision missiles and suicide drones, among others, that had only been available to the richest nations.
The second challenge encompasses the vulnerability of Western nations that have perpetuated a war without calculating all they would lose. For example, Champion discusses the infrastructure of the United States and its offshore projects that could be shrunk in the face of a powerful foe. He proceeds to speculate how much the US per capita gross domestic product, which stands at over $76,000, could be hit, highlighting its fragility.
The economic structure of the globe should be considered, according to Champion, who claims the disruptions in the maritime supply chain caused by Yemen’s Ansar Allah, which add up to 12% of the global shipping, essentially do not affect Yemen as much as they affect European importers.
Moreover, the author depicts the discrepancies between the political ideology of the US and Yemen. If Yemen kills US troops that have been deployed to infiltrate and militarize the Red Sea and protect the interests of “Israel” by bombing the defensive force that is supporting Gaza through a US-funded Israeli genocide, then it would transpire as a political problem that backfires at Biden’s administration. On the other hand, when US troops kill Yemeni civilians in the US’ brutal attacks on residential Yemeni areas, then it only fuels Ansar Allah further, and more so the popular support it garners.
Champion then says the US must not escalate tensions against a clearly overpowered movement that regards it as an absolute evil and continues to recruit freedom fighters in the quest for liberation.
On submarine telecommunication cables, the author classifies them as an extension of Western vulnerabilities in the region, that could be a target for the Yemenis.
It is important to note that Ansar Allah has repeatedly declared its intention to preserve and protect the cables. Earlier in March, the Ministry of Transport and Maritime Affairs in Yemen reiterated that Sanaa “is keen on the security and safety of undersea cables in Yemeni waters, in accordance with international laws, treaties, and agreements.”
It pointed out that “the Republic of Yemen is also keen on the interests of the countries associated with the cables as obligated by laws, agreements, international treaties, and the common interests between Yemen and other states.”
This comes after Israeli newspaper Globes reported earlier that at least four underwater communication cables were damaged in the sea between Jeddah in Saudi Arabia and Djibouti in East Africa, accusing the Yemeni Armed Forces of allegedly being behind the operation.
Sanaa rejected claims made by the United States and Britain regarding the cutting of undersea cables in the Red Sea and condemned the act of sabotage, describing it as “criminal”. The Yemeni government in Sanaa affirmed on Saturday that the US-UK aggressions against the country have disrupted the undersea cables, jeopardizing the security and safety of international communications.
The piece pointed out that since the Yemeni Armed Forces began their operations in the Red Sea in November in support of the Palestinian people, Sayyed al-Houthi “has been treated like a latter-day Che Guevara, his portrait and speeches shared on social media across five continents.”
It emphasized that although it remains challenging to assess the consequences of the attacks, the Yemeni operations created a gap in the global economy.
The operations, according to the piece, turned the Yemeni Ansar Allah movement into “heroes for Arab and Muslim youths who embrace the Palestinian cause,” and even influenced Western progressives.
Elsewhere, the piece indicated that the US-British aggression did not deter the Yemeni Armed Forces, adding that “since staking claim to the Palestinian cause,” the Yemeni forces “have come to seem unstoppable.”
Ahmed AbdulKareem is a Yemeni journalist based in Sana’a. He covers the war in Yemen for MintPress News as well as local Yemeni media.
Ahmed AbdulKareem
In the courtyard of Yemen’s famous Al Shaeb Mosque, guards of honor stood at attention accompanied by the melody of military music as the funeral ceremony of Yemeni marines killed in the latest round of U.S. and UK strikes commenced. The mourners, many of whom traveled from the countryside to attend, walked alongside a long convoy carrying the bodies of 17 victims as it made its way through the streets of Sana’a. Mourners held aloft photos of the deceased or thrust their rifles into the air while chanting slogans condemning the United States. Several banners peppered the crowd, emblazoned with the label given to those who gave their lives in what many view as a struggle in defense of Palestine: “Martyrs on the road to al-Quds (Jerusalem).”
Seventeen pickup trucks ensconced in green drapes bore the bodies. They were escorted by family members alongside thousands of mourners leaving Sana’a for the hometowns of the victims who hailed from various regions of Yemen. The scene unfolded last Sunday when thousands of angry Yemenis took to the streets of Sana’a and other cities to hold a funeral for those killed by the attacks. “Retribution against American soldiers… We will not abandon our revenge,” some mourners proclaimed.
In Bani Matar, 70 kilometers west of Sanaa towards the Hodeida Road, the mothers of Ziad Ajlan and Hashem Al-Sawari watched the convoy from a rooftop as it carried along the bodies of their sons. Ziad and Hashem were not involved in the fighting; they were among a number of civilians killed in attacks launched by the U.S. Navy on the Yemeni mainland one week ago. My son was martyred on the road to al-Quds,” Ziad’s mother said proudly. “We will not be broken, and we will not abandon Gaza.”
U.S. and British officials maintain that their attacks target “Houthi” military positions – ammunition stores and missile launch sites, but the reality of the ground tells a different story. Yemeni civilians say they are blind and indiscriminate and often leave civilians maimed or killed. Assuming the U.S. and UK are acting in good faith, it is clear that their intelligence information is lacking. A truck belonging to a farmer carrying plastic pipes was targeted in an airstrike outside the city of Saada last week. It is believed that the pipes were mistaken for missiles.
This story has repeated itself ad nauseam throughout Yemen since the end of December when the multinational “Operation Prosperity Guardian” (OIR) was launched in a thus-far failed attempt to protect ships linked with Israel from Ansar Allah. This week alone, as many as 40 strikes were launched by the U.S. and the UK, most targeting the coastal city of Hodeida.
Coffins of Asnar Allah fighters killed in the U.S.-led strikes on Yemen are transported during a mass funeral in Sanaa, Yemen, Feb. 10, 2024. Osamah Abdulrahman | AP
THE FOG OF WAR
The danger of Washington’s attacks on Yemen’s mainland lies not only in exposing civilians to danger but has the potential to spark retaliatory measures taken by Ansar Allah should pressure from the public and family members of victims continue to mount.
On December 29, when U.S. forces killed 10 Yemeni sailors aboard three ships in the Red Sea, Ansar Allah refrained from retaliating. But when American and British bombs peppered mainland Yemen the next month, striking major cities with over 100 precision-guided missiles, leaving civilians dead and maimed, Ansar Allah reacted, carrying out a barrage of retaliatory attacks.
Some Yemeni officials have even hinted that two U.S. Navy Seals that the U.S. government claims drowned while boarding a boat smuggling weapons into Yemen were actually killed in combat. It is not known whether the soldiers were killed in attacks by Ansar Allah ballistic missiles or drones or during a failed commando operation as the U.S. claims, but what is clear is that the U.S. is covering its losses and information about the deaths of the Seals has been highly politicized.
In fact, many of the details surrounding hostilities between the U.S. and Ansar Allah have been cast in a heavy fog of war, and it will likely be years before the truth is revealed. What is certain is that Ansar Allah has caused direct material damage to U.S. military vessels, targeting numerous times with advanced missiles and drones launched. In the wake of every such attack, a statement was issued, reaffirming Ansar Allah’s right to take revenge for those killed in American and British bombing raids.
On January 31, the Ansar Allah announced that the American destroyer, the USS Gravely, was hit by several anti-ship missiles. In the wake of the attack, US Central Command (CENTCOM) announced that the Gravely had shot down an advanced anti-ship cruise missile. Later, reports emerged that the destroyer in question and other Western military assets in the area had failed to intercept the missile until it got within “4 seconds from hitting the U.S. warship.”
On January 25, Ansar Allah said that it had clashed with American destroyers in the Gulf of Aden and Bab al-Mandab for two hours. One U.S. Navy vessel was directly hit after a failed interception attempt, according to Ansar Allah, who have been improving their capabilities since 2014, after a failed Saudi-led and U.S.-backed bombing campaign left the country in tatters.
This undated photograph released by CENTCOM shows the vessel that was being boarded by US Navy Seals near Yemen in a raid that saw two commandos go missing
MANUFACTURING CONSENT
Although President Joe Biden has repeatedly claimed that the United States does not seek to expand the war in the Middle East, the actions of the US military are undoubtedly making the situation in the Red Sea more tense. In the wake of American airstrikes targeting Hodeida on Thursday – for the ninth time that day alone, Ansar Allah Armed Forces spokesperson Brigadier Yahya Saree revealed that the group would take “further measures” within its legitimate right to self-defense in response to the repeated U.S.-UK aggression. In the same statement, Saree announced that the Barbados-flagged British Bulk Carrier ship, the LYCAVITOS, was targeted by naval missiles while sailing in the Gulf of Aden, raising questions about the actual deterrence factor of America’s escalatory approach.
Prior to that, the leader of Ansar Allah, Abdul-Malik al-Houthi, the leader of the revolution that the U.S.-backed Yemeni government in 2014, confirmed that any escalation on Ansar Allah’s part would be against Israel and to confront American and British aggression and would not target the interests of ordinary Westerners. The comment came in response to claims circulated in the media that Ansar Allah could sabotage a network of underwater internet cables that run through the Red Sea. “We do not plan to target submarine cables, and we have no intention of doing so, and what is reported in the media is a lie aimed at distorting our humanitarian position on the war on Gaza,” he said. Many Western media outlets promoted the claim, raising fears over the safety of infrastructure critical to the functioning of the Western Internet and the transmission of financial data. Yemen is strategically located, as internet lines connecting entire continents pass near it.
Airstrikes and claims that internet access may be cut off may be the tip of the escalatory iceberg, according to the government of Sana’a. The Minister of Information, Daifallah al-Shami, held a press conference on Thursday announcing that they have information that the UAE is seeking to recruit agents from multiple foreign nationalities in cooperation with Al-Qaeda and ISIS to target ships in the Red Sea and the Arabian Sea in order to confuse and distort operations carried out by Ansar Allah in support of Gaza. According to al-Shami, the move is supported by the U.S.
“WE WILL NOT ABANDON GAZA”
Contrary to what is being promoted in much of the Western media, which has taken the line that Ansar Allah’s Red Sea blockade has nothing to do with the ongoing genocide in Gaza, a review of the targets of Ansar Allah’s attacks makes their motivations clear. On October 19, Ansar Allah fired drones and missiles at Israel’s southern Eliat Port. In mid-November, the naval forces seized an Israeli ship headed towards occupied Palestine. Shortly after, Ansar Allah publically announced that the Israeli-linked ship would not be allowed to pass through the Baba al-Mandab Strait. Later, they announced that the ban on shipping would extend to all vessels attempting to reach Eliat Port. All of these measures were in support of a single, repeatedly declared goal, which was to pressure Israel to stop its war on Gaza and allow food and water to enter the besieged strip.
With visible sadness and anger, Abdul-Malik al-Houthi enumerated in a televised speech on Tuesday the reasons that motivate Yemen to continue operations to prevent international navigation supporting Israel in the Red Sea – the continued mass killing of the Gazans, renewed American support for Israel, including with lethal weapons and the use of internationally banned weapons against civilians in Gaza, including white phosphorus.
Al-Houthi said that “the Yemeni military’s retaliatory strikes in the Red Sea had proven to be effective as it led to the almost complete closure of the port of Umm al-Rashrash (the name of Eliat before Israel annexed it), and all food supply chains to Israel that were passing through the Red Sea and Bab al-Mandab stopped by 70%, and prices in the Israeli market rose by 30-50% after ships were forced to divert course through the Cape of Good Hope.” Israel, he noted, was one of the largest beneficiaries of maritime trade, with imports in 2022 reaching to $133 billion “thanks to the Red Sea.”
Responding to those who question the feasibility of Ansar Allah’s position, Al-Houthi said that “Yemeni operations have caused repercussions for ship insurance,” noting that insurers are now refusing to insure ships heading towards the ports of occupied Palestine. “Not only that,” he added, “but insurance companies require Israeli and American ships to pay additional amounts of up to 50%.”
“Our operations at sea led to a decline in Israel’s total imports of products by 25% during the past months,” Al-Houthi said, “The Israeli Ministry of Economy and Industry admitted that the Red Sea operations harmed its trade relations with 14 countries.”
Amid threats of escalation and even whispers of a Western-led ground invasion of Yemen, Ansar Allah has reiterated its commitment to its mission. Mobilization, military training, demonstrations, and other activities will be continued as long as the aggression against Gaza continues, it has reaffirmed, saying that operations at sea will continue until Israel “allows food and medical supplies and the delivery of basic needs into Gaza.” “The U.S. and UK will not achieve their goals through aggression against our country, and the only solution is to stop the aggression and deliver food and medicine to the people of Gaza,” Al-Houthi vowed.
Ahmed AbdulKareem is a Yemeni journalist based in Sana’a. He covers the war in Yemen for MintPress News as well as local Yemeni media.
When confronted with international appeals for humanitarian aid due to the ongoing crises in Gaza and Yemen, the United States and the United Kingdom have chosen instead to turn Yemen’s Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden into a combat zone, initiating an ariel bombing campaign against the war-torn country already suffering immensely from nine years of deadly conflict spearheaded by Saudi Arabia and backed by the U.S.
For weeks, U.S. and British naval vessels have been perched on the outskirts of Yemen’s territorial waters in the Red Sea, not only to protect ships carrying goods to Israel but to launch a series of airstrikes against Yemen, the poorest country in the world. In recent weeks, at least 320 airstrikes have been launched by warplanes that seem never to leave the skies over Yemen’s major cities. The latest strikes hit Friday morning, targeting Al-Jabana, Al-Taif, and Al-Kathib and followed renewed calls by U.S. officials for regional actors not to escalate conflict in the Middle East.
According to Yemeni citizens who spoke to MintPress, the U.S. bombing campaign, which has struck targets in crowded residential neighborhoods, is the last thing that Yemenis expected. Twenty-seven-year-odl Ibrahim al-Nahari lives with his family near Hodeida International Airport, which was targeted by US airstrikes on Monday afternoon. He said of the bombings: “I never expected we would be attacked because of our solidarity with hungry people in Gaza. Are these America’s morals?”
Last Monday, U.S. airstrikes targeted Yemen’s Al-Katnaib Coast Park, frequented by hundreds of visitors daily, and not only caused damage to nearby homes, hotels and shops but spread panic and fear among civilians. “We need food and medicine, not the ugly American bombs that we have tasted for nine years,” Al-Nahari told MintPress, waving a Palestinian flag at a massive demonstration in support of Gaza on Friday in central Hodeida.
Al-Nahari was among tens of thousands who took to the streets of Hodeida on Friday to condemn U.S.-British attacks on their country and renew their support for the Palestinian people. Massive protests featuring hundreds such as these have become a hallmark in Yemen’s northern provinces and beyond since Israel launched its attack on Gaza following Hamas’ surprise attack on October 7, 2023. In Al-Sabeen Square, south of the capital, Sanaa, officials estimate that an area of 100,000 square meters was packed with demonstrators standing shoulder to shoulder to express their outrage.
“We came here to prove that Palestine is the cause of the Yemeni people, and the world must know this,” Malik Almadani, a prominent writer and human rights activist, told MintPress. “We will not stop the demonstrations, and we will continue weekly. It is our sacred duty, rooted and deep in our souls,” he added. Almadani sees Palestine as a cause dear to Yemen’s people, not something that any authority in the country has the authority to negotiate on their behalf. He warned Western powers that any ground invasion of Yemen due to its support for Gaza would be a war against all of Yemen’s people, not against an institution, state, or party.
RED SEA TENSIONS ESCALATE
U.S. and British leaders have repeatedly stated that their bombing campaign in Yemen is intended to end Ansar Allah’s (known in the West as the Houthis) attacks on international shipping and naval vessels. They claim the strikes are necessary to limit the Houthis’ ability to launch further attacks. Yet, there is little to suggest the attacks are having their intended effect. Ansar Allah has maintained that U.S. and UK strikes have not achieved their military objectives and have done little more than incite terror in the hearts of Yemeni civilians. Indeed, nearly every bombing campaign has been met with renewed attacks by Ansar Allah against Israeli, British and U.S. interests in the region, often more extensive and brazen than the last.
This tit-for-tat is escalating too. This week alone saw at least 86 airstrikes against targets in Yemen, with populated regions of Hodeida hit particularly hard, including Al-Katheib, Ras Issa, Al-Zaidiyah, Al-Hawk, Al-Salif, and Al-Lahiya, which saw 28 separate strikes. Sanaa was targeted with 13 strikes, Taiz with 11, Al-Bayda with 7, Hajjah with seven raids, and Saad with over twenty. Despite the scale of the attacks, Yemeni officials maintain they’ve had little effect on the military capabilities of Ansar Allah.
“There have been casualties from U.S. and UK raids, and there is varying damage to some sites and camps. However, most of the military sites were already evacuated before the airstrikes began. Some of them had already been subjected to bombings in previous years,” Deputy Head of Moral Guidance for the Yemeni Army, Brigadier General Abdullah Bin Amer, told MintPress. “We can deal appropriately with these developments, benefiting from past experiences that began in 2015.”
By all accounts, the U.S.-led aerial campaign in Yemen is a violation of the tenets of just war, which dictates that nations must not only have a just cause for going to war but also resort to military force only after all other options have been exhausted. Despite White House claims to the contrary, the intervention in Yemen is clearly not a case of self-defense. The notion that Yemen, the poorest country in the Middle East, represents a military threat to International trade is absurd, especially as Ansar Allah officials have made it clear through both rhetoric and action that any nations not directly involved in supporting Israel’s genocide in Gaza have been able to pass through the Red Sea unmolested.
The US-owned Genco Picardy after it came under attack from drone launched by Ansar Allah in the Gulf of Aden, Jan.18, 2024. Photo | AP
AN INEFFECTUAL CAMPAIGN
Despite the U.S. feckless bombing campaign and its specious justification, the leader of Ansar Allah, Abdul-Malik al-Houthi, has confirmed that operations in the Red Sea and the Bab al-Mandab Strait against Israel-linked ships will continue. In a televised speech on Tuesday, he said, “Our actions will escalate as long as the Israeli aggression and siege on the Palestinians continues. The correct solution is to bring food and medicine into Gaza, and continuing airstrikes will not benefit America, Britain, or Israel in any way.”
Al-Houthi blamed the actions of the White House for forcing Ansar Allah to target U.S. and British Naval ships near Yemen, saying, “The U.S. and UK’s involvement in Yemen will not protect Israeli ships, and for the first time since World War II, the Americans are exposing their battleships to being targeted.”
“The continued U.S. and UK aggression constitutes a violation of the sovereignty of an independent state, Muhammed AbdulSalam, the official spokesman for Ansar Allah, added, confirming that attacks will not prevent the Yemeni armed forces from continuing their support mission to Gaza, nor will the aggression be able to provide security for Israeli ships or those heading to the ports of occupied Palestine. “It is this American-British aggression that threatens international navigation in the Red and Arabian Seas and the Gulf of Aden,” he added.
ORIGINS OF A BLOCKADE
In a campaign they maintain is aimed at forcing Israel to allow food and medicine to be allowed into the besieged Gaza Strip, Ansar Allah’s forces have continued to target Israeli-owned, flagged or operated ships in the Red Sea and Arabian Seas, or those destined for Israeli ports. The latest such attack came last Tuesday when the Ansar Allah’s Naval Forces carried out two military operations in the Red Sea, the first against the American ship Star Nasia and another targeting the British ship the Morning Tide, according to the official spokesman for the Yemeni army, Yahya Saree.
Since November 19, when Ansar Allah’s maritime campaign began, the group has conducted at least 20 naval operations. More than 20 ships have been targeted, including three that were Israeli-owned, eight belonging to the U.S., four belonging to Britain, and ten that were en route to Israeli ports. Israel itself was not exempt; at least 200 drones and 50 ballistic and winged missiles have been launched against Israel from Yemen. These include sophisticated long-range ballistic missiles and drones such as the Toofan, a recently unveiled variant of the Zolfaghar mid-range ballistic missile, the Quds cruise missile, and the Samad drone. While relatively inexpensive to manufacture, these projectiles have challenged Western forces, who spend millions on sophisticated missiles to shoot them down, threatening to exhaust their stocks and incur a high financial cost in defense of Israeli interests.
It’s worth noting that Yemeni operations against American and British ships began in earnest only after Western forces started bombing Yemen. In its initial days, Ansar Allah’s campaign strictly targeted Israeli interests in support of Gaza, with Ansar Allah’s arsenal pointed at Israel’s Eliat Port. Washington responded by sending a massive naval flotilla to the Red Sea and with a slew of fiery statements by American officials. In the wake of this failed strategy of intimidation, the U.S. and Britain began launching missiles against Yemeni targets. It was only then that Ansar Allah began actively targeting U.S. and British naval assets.
Ansar Allah officials have reiterated their unwavering stance that the Red Sea is off-limits only to Israeli ships until Israel ensures the unfettered delivery of essential aid to Gaza. It remains open to international maritime shipping for countries not involved in supporting what the International Court of Justice has ruled in genocide in Gaza. Ansar Allah has also stated that operations will stop immediately as soon as medicine and food enter Gaza. Until this humanitarian goal is achieved, Ansar Allah officials maintain, the armed air, sea, and land forces will not only continue to target Israeli, American, and British ships but also escalate, even if it ultimately leads to a ground invasion of Yemen.
“THE CEMETERY OF INVADERS”
Asked about a possible U.S.-led ground invasion of Yemen, Brigadier General Bin Amer, who is also the author of the book “Yemen is the Cemetery of Invaders,” currently the most widely circulated book in Yemen, said, “The decision to invade a country like Yemen is certainly a difficult decision for any power. There are many factors and reasons that make those powers hesitate to make such a decision.”
Yemen’s terrain is the most rugged in the Middle East, posing a significant challenge to foreign invading forces. The country’s topography is characterized by steep mountains, deep valleys, and arid plateaus, creating a complex and challenging environment for foreigners, which complicates military operations and hinders the establishment of military infrastructure.
“Throughout history, Yemen has been the target of the ambitions of invaders, but the Yemeni people fiercely resisted all invasion campaigns and were able to defeat them and triumph over them in the end. The invaders on this land suffered great losses, and thus Yemen was nicknamed the cemetery of invaders.” General Bin Amer added.
According to Bin Amer, the Yemeni people do not accept occupation. They have a deep-rooted culture of independence. In addition, their battle today is a battle of principles and values that have religious, moral, and humanitarian considerations, adding, “There is a popular consensus on this battle, and the Yemeni people, in addition to being natural fighters and an armed people, have an additional factor, which is leadership that expresses this. [This factor] certainly has its importance regarding organization and management under such exceptional circumstances.”
Both in the streets and among the highest echelons of Ansar Allah’s leaders, there is a feeling in Yemen that its military actions in support of Gaza have been validated by the International Court of Justice’s ruling ordering Israel to permit the entry of “humanitarian assistance to address the adverse conditions of life faced by Palestinians in Gaza.”
But the likelihood of a Western-led ground invasion is still being taken seriously. Ansar Allah has undertaken an unprecedented military mobilization on a massive scale, including holding military courses, conducting maneuvers, and bolstering stocks of military equipment.
Volunteer fighters march during a rally of support for Palestinians in Gaza Strip and against the US strikes on Yemen outside Sanaa, Jan. 22, 2024. Photo | AP
A DOCTRINE OF RESISTANCE
Although Yemen has garnered headlines in recent months for its defiant stance towards Israel, its support for Palestinians long predates October 7. MintPress spoke to Yemeni historical researcher Dr. Hammoud Al-Ahnoumi about the nature of Yemeni support for Palestine
In the wake of the second Palestinian intifada and the events of September 11 following the invasion of Afghanistan and Iraq, an indigenous Yemeni tribal group in the northern country began openly voicing its opposition to what it saw as the unjust colonial ambitions of Israel and the United States in the region. The group traces its roots to the Arab Hamdani tribe residing in northern Yemen and is a subdivision of the larger Banu Hamdan tribe.
Over the years, many northern Yemenis joined the group known now as Ansar Allah. It wasn’t until Ansar Allah’s power began to gain momentum that it was given the moniker “Houthis” by the West and dismissed as an Iranian proxy in a bid to demoralize the movement and alienate it from the local population. Yet Ansar Allah’s on the Palestinian issue cannot be understood without understanding its history and political formation.
The political doctrine of Ansar Allah has its roots in the eighth century, particularly in Imam Zayd (695–740 CE), the son of Ali ibn al-Hussain ibn Ali ibn Abi Talib. Imam Zayd initiated a revolution against the repressive Umayyad Caliphate that became a symbol of resistance to oppression that permeates Yemeni culture to this day.
Over the years, Yemenis internalized and embraced these ideals to such a degree that they became a central tenant in what would become known as the Shia Islamic sect of Zaydis. According to Zaydis, Imam Zayd became the second Imam (leader) after his grandfather, Imam Hussain ibn Ali, who was also killed in a struggle against an oppressive government in Karbala, southern Iraq, on the tenth of Muharram in 680 CE.
Loyalty, resistance to oppression and solidarity with the oppressed have become the main principle of their faith and how they see their duty to God, according to Dr. Al-Ahnoumi. For them, he explained to MintPress, standing in support of Palestine is compliance with their doctrine, which calls for resistance against oppressors and supporting the oppressed.
“Though they may coincide with Iranian Revolutionary ideals of resistance against tyrants and oppressors, and oppose [what they view as] American and Israeli arrogance and tyranny,” Ansar Allah act entirely independently, Dr. Al-Ahnoumi insisted.
A TINDERBOX
The fact that Ansar Allah’s operation in the Red Sea has been reduced by Western power to a binary question of freedom of navigation and framed in an Iran-centric geopolitical context bodes poorly for the chances of a peaceful resolution to the conflict. To avoid another disastrous war in Yemen and a U.S. quagmire in the Middle East, western political leaders and media alike must come to terms with the reality that is the tinderbox in Yemen.
Zaid Al-Gharsi, Head of the Media Department at the Presidency of the Republic of Yemen, blames Western leaders and media for distorting Yemen’s position. He urged media outlets and activists on social media, particularly in Western countries, not to take the White House’s narrative, which frames its bombing campaign as self-defense and protection of global navigation, at face value. The reality, he told MintPress, is “that America is an aggressor and an occupier that came from across the oceans to dominate, plunder, and destroy.”
Sayyed Hussein Badr al-Din al-Houthi planted the foundations for the Ansar Allah movement in Yemen in 2004. (Al Mayadeen English; Illustrated by Arwa Makki)
The West’s failure to recognize Ansar Allah as a revolutionary movement may escalate the risk of a full-blown war, with the West paying a high price, ultimately leading to its defeat in West Asia.
The Ansar Allah movement has lately attracted international attention by boldly defying major world powers, particularly the United States, through their military actions to support Palestine amid the ongoing Israeli genocide in Gaza.
This decision comes at a time when even larger Arab nations refrain from such interventions, despite Yemen itself enduring a decade of US-backed Saudi-led aggression and grappling with a severe humanitarian crisis due to a yearslong land, sea, and air blockade. In an attempt to thwart Yemen’s efforts and hinder Sanaa from enforcing its solidarity with Gaza, Washington and the UK launched a series of attacks on the country in recent weeks, with a plethora of media outlets shining their spotlights on the Ansar Allah, whom they call “Houthis”, hosting Orientalist pundits attempting to ‘crack their puzzle’.
The US, UK, and “Israel” persistently describe Ansar Allah as an Iranian proxy, disregarding the movement’s autonomy and independence. This misunderstanding of this revolutionary movement may escalate the risk of a full-blown war in the region, with the West paying a high price, ultimately leading to its defeat in West Asia.
So who are the Ansar Allah exactly, and what are they fighting for?
Who are the ‘Houthis’?
The term “Houthis” refers to an indigenous tribal group in Yemen that originates from the Arab Hamdani tribe residing in northern Yemen, and is a subdivision of the larger Banu Hamdan tribe. Their main settlements are concentrated in the regions of ‘Amran and Saada.
Since the early 2000s, and after the group began explicitly voicing its anti-imperialist ideology, Western countries and think tanks, trying to demoralize them and alienate them from their population, labeled them as “Iranian proxies” and “terrorists” who should be eradicated.
However, it is essential to recognize that the “Houthis” trace their roots back to the eighth century to the arrival of Zayd ibn Ali ibn Hussein in Yemen.
Zayd ibn Ali (695–740) was the son of Ali ibn al-Hussain Zain al-Abidin and the grandson of Imam Hussain ibn Ali ibn Abi Talib. He initiated a revolution against the Umayyad caliphate, leading to his martyrdom. Zayd ibn Ali’s revolution was meant to oppose injustice like his grandfather Imam Hussein, who was martyred at Karbala in southern Iraq on 10 Muharram 61 AH (680 CE) by the army of Yazid Ibn Muawiya, the Umayyad ruler at the time.
Zayd ibn Ali is recognized as a significant religious figure not only among Shia Muslims but also by many Sunnis. Notably, Sunni jurist Abu Hanifa issued a fatwa supporting Zayd against the Umayyads. Zayd remains a pivotal revolutionary figure, with many Yemenis eventually becoming Zaydis (believing that Zayd is the true imam after Hussein ibn Ali) and is universally regarded as a martyr by both Sunni and Shia traditions, one who planted the seeds of resisting oppression and of solidarity with the oppressed.
Over the years, the “Houthis” developed their own historical narrative and political movement known as Ansar Allah, which would grow to surpass the “Houthi” element. Labeling all members of the tribal confederacy in northern Yemen as “terrorists” or “Houthis” and advocating for their indiscriminate elimination overlooks the complexity of their history and political formation.
Contemporary history
Sayyed Hussein Al-Houthi, the founder of the Ansar Allah
Sayyed Hussein Badr al-Din al-Houthi laid the foundation for the Ansar Allah movement in Yemen in 2004. During that period, Sayyed al-Houthi described the early members of the Ansar Allah movement, before it adopted this name, as a community of believers guided by the principles of the Holy Quran. He refrained from associating the movement with specific sectarian labels, underscoring its Islamic affiliation and Quranic identity as inclusive principles capable of encompassing all Muslims.
The Ansar Allah movement stood out in its political aspect by advocating opposition to American and Israeli meddling in West Asia, especially in Yemen.
“Sayyed Hussein Badr al-Din al-Houthi, in several lessons given under the title ‘Lessons from the Guidance of the Holy Qur’an,’ emphasized the US’ active posturing against our nation”, Yemeni diplomat Yasser Mohesn Almohallil told Al Mayadeen English.
“Ansar Allah faced persistent harassment from the authorities during the rule of Ali Abdullah Saleh. The regime made multiple attempts to pressure Sayyed Hussein Al-Houthi into changing his well-known slogan.”
“Despite these efforts, when the authorities failed to deter him, they declared war against Sayyed Hussein and his supporters. The initial confrontation occurred in the Maran area in northern Saada after he [Saleh] returned from Washington with a shipment of weapons and U.S. trainers,” he further affirmed.
After Sayyed Hussein’s martyrdom, the leadership was transferred to his father and then to his brother Sayyed Abdul-Malik al-Houthi, the current leader of Ansar Allah.
How Ansar Allah evolved into a formidable US foe
Ansar Allah, originating from Quranic principles laid down in 2001 by Sayyed Hussein, faced six wars initiated by Ali Abdallah Saleh’s authority, with the sixth involving Saudi Arabia. At that time, Ansar Allah had limited resources, armed only with AK rifles, while the government possessed advanced weaponry, most notably F-16 aircraft, tanks, artillery, and anti-aircraft weapons, Ansar Allah Resistance fighter Hammam Hassan said in an exclusive interview with Al Mayadeen English.
“The war’s cause was attributed to Ansar Allah’s ‘Death to America, Death to Israel’ slogan, and tensions escalated after a visit by Abdul-Malik to Saada, prompting Saleh’s declaration of war,” he further added.
He went on to say that Ansar Allah, initially armed with simple capabilities, progressed from manufacturing primitive bombs in juice boxes to homemade landmines, later developing missiles like Zelzal and al-Sarkha, as per Hassan.
During the war with Saleh, Ansar Allah acquired and developed weapons to serve Yemen and other free Arab nations, he said.
Regular Yemeni fighters
Regarding the weaponry possessed by the regular Yemeni Resistance fighters, Ansar Allah Resistance fighter Hammam Hassan detailed to Al Mayadeen English that the fighters are armed, first and foremost, with their strong faith in God and a commitment to the cause they are fighting for.
“I have deduced a principle from the wars in Yemen, including the war on Gaza, and that is that when two armies meet – one with powerful weapons and another with weaker weapons – the one who will win the battle is the one with a strong cause, even if their equipment is inferior,” he said proudly.
Regular Yemeni fighters have access to widely available weapons, such as the Kalashnikov rifle and machine guns, including anti-aircraft guns.However, these weapons need to be well-maintained as they are old, he explained.
He further stressed that a regular fighter typically carries a simple machine gun, RPG launcher, or Kalashnikov, but because they are guided by principles and a strong belief, God grants them victory.
“You’ve witnessed the Yemeni fighter who, barefoot, climbed an Abrams tank – a U.S. industry icon – fearlessly captured it, and then set it ablaze with firewood back in 2016. You might wonder how such an event could unfold. It’s because the Yemeni fighter is driven by a cause, a principle, strong beliefs, and unwavering conviction, while the enemy lacks any equivalent,” he recalled.
Regarding the Americans’ ability to respond to Yemen’s attacks, he sarcastically remarked, “Let them respond. The fighters of Ansar Allah have over twenty-three years of experience and embody principles, strength, and determination. They excel in camouflaging and concealing weapons in warehouses unknown to anyone; even the fighter storing the weapons is unaware of the precise location or the name of that area. We maintain a high level of secrecy and confidentiality in such matters.”
Ground and air military capabilities
As for the ground and air military capabilities, many advanced weapons have been revealed by the Ansar Allah, particularly on the anniversary of the September 21 Revolution in 2021 and 2023.
Regarding naval weapons, locally manufactured weapons include remotely operated explosive-laden boats (Unmanned Surface Vehicles) and lethal naval mines. These weapons have been also publicly revealed. However, Ansar Allah also owns undisclosed weapons and missiles that could be deployed from vessels or the coast, Hassan divulged to Al Mayadeen English.
“Each party in the war holds cards that should not be revealed until the right moment. We could have closed the Bab al-Mandab Strait in 2017-2018 when we were besieged by countries worldwide, but with God’s grace and the wisdom of our leader, the decision to close the Red Sea passage was not taken. If we had utilized the Red Sea option, we wouldn’t have had the current capability to launch even a single shot to support Gaza,” he noted.
In the same context, Almohallil contended that Western media is trying to portray a balance in capabilities between Ansar Allah and the United States. Despite the US possessing superior capabilities, effectively countering Yemen’s tactics requires a precise military approach, an area where Washington has so far been unsuccessful, as per Almohallil.
“The United States’ becoming deeply involved in the coalition led by Saudi Arabia offered valuable field experience to Ansar Allah. This experience involved dealing with an extensive, aggressive war where coalition forces utilized a range of advanced American weapons. Ansar Allah also gained insight into the strategy behind the aggression devised by Washington, allowing them to adapt their operations accordingly. This adaptation, in turn, led to a refinement in the course of operations based on an understanding of the tactics employed by the aggressors,” he added.
‘The land fights with us’
The Yemeni terrain poses a formidable challenge for any invader, as it is widely known to be one of the most rugged and demanding landscapes on the planet. The topography of Yemen is characterized by steep mountains, deep valleys, and arid plateaus, creating a complex and difficult environment to navigate. The terrain’s rough nature not only complicates military operations but also hinders infrastructure development, making it a significant factor that shapes the strategic considerations of any foreign force operating in the region.
The Yemeni mountains present extreme challenges, making it difficult for US missiles or drones to reach their peaks, rendering such attempts futile, as per Hassan.
During the Saudi-led aggression, Yemen was closely monitored by satellites and spy drones, to the extent that if there were a stone in a certain area, a drone would come, capture an image of the stone, and if the stone moved, the drone would strike the location, he said.
“This illustrates the extent of aerial surveillance in Yemen. However, we successfully concealed weapons, tanks, and aircraft. We developed long-range missiles with a reach of up to 200, 300, 500, 700 kilometers, and even a thousand kilometers. We manufactured, stored, and launched these missiles—all by the grace of God and the skills of Yemeni resistance fighters, who possess high capabilities in concealing and camouflaging. The Americans cannot reach [find] us,” he further emphasized.
The US VS Ansar Allah
In response to Ansar Allah’s operations in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden in support of Gaza, the United States pursued a dual strategy. Initially, the US attempted to entice the movement with financial incentives. However, when this approach proved unsuccessful, the United States opted for a more forceful response, resorting to bombing Yemen.
On this issue, a member of the Ansar Allah political bureau, Mohammad Alfareh, described the American-British aggression on Yemen as “a blatant and unjustified act that lacks legitimacy.”
He further told Al Mayadeen English that the aggression is taking place within the framework of the protection provided by the United States and Britain to the Israeli enemy, allowing it to continue its killings, atrocities, and brutal massacres in Gaza.
“In this regard, we urge all media outlets and activists on social media not to align with the American narrative, which portrays this aggression as self-defense and protection of global navigation, falsely claiming that it is a response to the killing of their soldiers. The reality is that America is an aggressor and an occupier that came from across the oceans to dominate, plunder, and destroy. The war has been ongoing since 2001 and did not start with the killing of their three soldiers,” he clarified.
Alfareh reaffirmed that Yemen’s stance towards Gaza remains unwavering, regardless of challenges and threats.
“We consider it a humane and ethical position, seeking to achieve peace in Palestine and security in our Arab region and the world,” he said.
We also assert that our people have every right to confront the American and British aggression that violates our sovereignty and independence. It is a foreign intrusion in our region. The Muslim nations have the right to support Gaza, which is witnessing the greatest massacre committed by the Zionists with American, British, and Western support, he further added.
The official questioned, “Why does the US grant itself the right to commit crimes and aggression, supporting the Israeli enemy, and then deny our right to stand by our oppressed brothers, who are championing a just cause connected to us by religion, blood, language, culture, and nationality, more than what connects the American to the Zionist?”
On the US’ attempt to lure Ansar Allah, Ansar Allah Resistance fighter Hammam Hassan divulged to Al Mayadeen English that the movement had the option to remain silent about what is happening in Gaza, as it was promised that employees would receive salaries that had been confiscated in the years past by the coalition. Salaries have been cut for ten years now, and Yemeni citizens struggle to make ends meet.However, even the simplest Yemeni citizens, including those opposing Ansar Allah, if asked whether they’d prefer to receive ten-years’ worth of salaries in exchange for the movement’s silence on the genocide in Gaza, or participate in a demonstration condemning the genocide, they would say they do not want salaries, he further stressed.
“Let me die of hunger; I would rather not stay silent about injustice. This would be the answer. This is the Yemeni people—a proud, stubborn people,” he affirmed.
“By Allah, even if our bodies are scattered in the air, we would not abandon Palestine and Gaza.”
Hassan went on to say that Yemen has nothing to lose, as essential infrastructure like schools and hospitals has been decimated due to the Saudi-led aggression. He asserts that the only thing Yemenis have in their possession amid all this destruction is their dignity.
In response to US strikes, Hassan reiterated that Ansar Allah is ready to face the United States directly, expressing weariness from engaging with the US’ proxies since 2002, accusing Ali Abdullah Saleh and Saudi Arabia of being American puppets.
Ansar Allah underscores its resistance as a matter of pride and honor, confidently stating that the US will not be able to harm them, he said.
As for the US’ ability to achieve its objective to stop Ansar Allah’s operations, Yemeni Diplomat Yasser Mohesn Almohallil commented by saying, “Drawing from this experience and considering the substantial popular support that has become a significant factor in the struggle, the United States currently seems to be struggling to develop new strategies to handle a resilient and self-directed uprising force.”
This force has proven its ability to stay steadfast, shift the balance of the battle in its favor, and adapt military tactics to achieve its goals, he further added.
“The US has found, among its diverse military options, only futile attempts in imitating the tactics utilized by Ansar Allah. These attempts appear to be aimed at creating a perception of parity to restore its strategic equilibrium,” Almohallil concluded by saying.
In short, the strength and endurance of Ansar Allah as a unified movement from its entrenched ideological principles and strategic goals adheres to an anti-imperialist and anti-Zionist agenda, centering around the Palestinian cause. Presently, the Resistance movement is united in its pursuit of two main objectives: compelling “Israel” to agree to an unconditional ceasefire in Gaza, and ending the blockade on Gaza.
In the pursuit of these goals, Ansar Allah operates based on its own political convictions and strategic interests, rather than adhering to external directives. This autonomy is a key factor in why Yemen is renowned as the graveyard of its invaders.
Leader of the Yemeni Ansar Allah movement Sayyed Abdul-Malik al-Houthi addresses the Yemeni people and the Ummah, on January 25, 2024. (Yemeni Armed Forces/Military media)
The leader of the Ansar Allah movement highlights the US’ direct role in war crimes against Palestinians in his latest address.
The leader of the Yemeni Ansar Allah movement, Sayyed Abul-Malik al-Houthi, lambasted the United States for its role in supplementing and supporting the ongoing Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip, during his weekly address to the Yemeni people and the Ummah at large on Thursday.
Sayyed al-Houthi underlined the essential role that Washington plays in extending the Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip, holding the US administration accountable for piled-up humanitarian aid outside the Gaza Strip and the closure of the Rafah border crossing.
Moreover, the leader pointed to the ongoing US-UK-led aggression on Yemen, which the two Western nations claim aims to secure international maritime trade routes. Contrary to US-UK claims, Sayyed al-Houthi said that Washington “does not care about the threat to international navigation and the fact that it has turned the Red Sea into a battlefield, nor about the arrival of food and medicine to the people of Gaza.”
He added, “[The US] has no problem with expanding the conflict [and increasing tensions in the region].”
In fact, the Resistance leader said the US “insists on keeping Gaza under total siege and keeping the Rafah crossing closed most of the time,” adding that Washington “insists that there be no flow of [humanitarian aid] to the Palestinian people in Gaza.”
It is worth noting that Sayyed al-Houthi’s statements coincide with a months-long effective Naval campaign launched by the Yemeni Armed Forces (YAF), aiming at pressuring the Israeli occupation to lift its siege on the Gaza Strip and allow humanitarian aid in. The Biden administration in Washington has opted to support the Israeli occupation’s genocidal war on Palestinians and launched at least eight strikes on Yemen.
In this context, Sayyed al-Houthi said, “While the Americans fight for the supplies to reach the Israelis, they prevent food and medicine from reaching Gaza,” pointing out that “[Washignton] is the one behind the continuation of Zionist crimes and behind [the incompetence of international organizations].”
The US “contributes directly to starving the Palestinian people, causing them to die of hunger, not only with the bombs [it provides the Israeli occupation forces with] to kill them.”
Yemen’s battle is intrinsically tied to Gaza
The leader of the Ansar Allah movement said the Yemeni Armed Forces launched more than 200 attack drones and fifty cruise and ballistic missiles in support of the Palestinian people.
He stressed that Yemen would continue to launch operations in support of the Palestinian people “until food and medicine reach all residents of Gaza and the Zionist crimes” in the Gaza Strip stop.
Sayyed al-Houthi stressed that the US’ military aggression and its insistence to reject a humanitarian deal “will not affect our position,” stressing that the Yemeni people “will never retreat.”
“Our battle is ongoing and is entirely linked to the Gaza battle.”
Yemen’s operations: No threat to international navigation
He also indicated that the US is attempting to “justify its aggression against our country and its protection of Zionist crimes,” under the pretext of protecting international navigation.
In response to these claims, Sayyed al-Houthi said that since the beginning of the Yemeni Naval campaign, “4,874 commercial ships have crossed,” through the Red Sea, untouched, adding that the US-UK-led escalation “is [the real] threat to international navigation” and has violated “the sovereignty of countries” in the region.
He went on to advise Europeans against allowing the US to exploit their govenrments’ funds for such purposes.
He explained that “no matter how much the Americans and the British escalate,” the results of this escalation will “be counterproductive and will not affect our decision and position, but we will continue to develop our military capabilities.”
“Whenever the Israelis and the Americans insist on [committing war crimes in Gaza], we must be more resolved and determined to prevent it.”
The leader of the Ansar Allah movement highlighted that in the history of the Arab struggle against the Israeli occupation, there has never been an aggression similar to that on Gaza today, both in terms of the war’s period and the level of criminality committed.
On that note, Sayyed al-Houthi pointed out that the number of casualties in Gaza is now calculated as a percentage of its population. “This is unparalleled today in all conflicts around the world,” he stressed.
In fact, more than 1 in 100 people in the Gaza Strip have been killed by the Israeli occupation since October 7, while more than 1 in 20 Gazans have either been killed, injured, or gone missing in the same period.
Despite the unprecedented level of Israeli brutality, the situation today has differed, he added. “Thanks to the resilience and steadfastness of the Resistance and the people of Gaza,” the equation has changed. The leader added that suffering is mutual and is not limited to Palestinians as in previous periods in the fight against the occupation.
“Despite the scale of the Zionist aggression, crime, tyranny, and incursion, the enemy has failed to achieve its declared goals,” Sayyed al-Houthi emphasized.
Leader of the Ansar Allah, Sayyed Abdulmalik al-Houthi: "Despite the scale of the Zionist aggression, criminality, tyranny, and incursion, the enemy has failed to achieve its stated objectives." https://t.co/dTcusFcC1A
Elsewhere in his address, Ansar Allah’s leader reiterated that Muslims bear a great responsibility to “support the resilience of the Palestinian people in the face of extremely difficult conditions, severe suffering, and great oppression.”
He underlined that “if Muslims provide the necessary support to the Palestinian people and its Resistance fighters, the equation will change completely,” pointing out that “the criminal path of the Israeli enemy continues every day, expressing an aggressive tendency, hatred, brutality, and moral bankruptcy.”
“Whenever the enemy fails to achieve its declared goals, it resorts to committing horrendous crimes,” he added, asking, “All international institutions are witnessing what is happening in Palestine, in Gaza, but where is the practical stance?”
“The statements issued by international institutions do not match up to the real situation Gaza is facing,” he added.
Leader of the Ansar Allah, Sayyed Abdulmalik al-Houthi: "The statements issued by international institutions can never truly capture the reality of what is happening in #Gaza." https://t.co/pKATrCR9yF
Regarding the international public stance on the Israeli war, he emphasized the need for the demonstrations in Western countries to continue, namely in Europe and the United States.
However, he said that “there must be broader and escalating actions to pressure the heinous and brutal crime against the Palestinian people to stop.”
“Mass popular movement has great importance in demanding an end to the aggression on Gaza and ending the crime against the Palestinian people,” Sayyed al-Houthi said, noting that “people suffering severe oppression from their regimes can boycott American and Israeli goods.”
Reaffirming Yemen’s unwavering position to support Gaza, respond to Israeli crimes, and face the occupation’s supporters no matter the challenges, he stressed that Gaza will not be left to its fate.
“Our people will not leave Gaza alone, and Yemenis will not stay at home ignoring what is happening, but the popular mobilization will continue,” he declared, calling for “massive demonstrations on Friday in the capital Sanaa and across other provinces.”
Leader of the Yemeni Revolution, Sayyed Abdulmalik al-Houthi, chief of the Ansar Allah resistance movement, gave a speech earlier this afternoon going over the most recent developments after more than 104 days of aggression against Gaza.
“More than 104 days [have passed] of savage Zionist aggression against the Palestinian people; in which the enemy has committed more than 2000 massacres which are tantamount to a genocide,” Sayyed al-Houthi opened up in a speech.
“The whole world is witnessing the savage injustice towards the Palestinian people from the United Nations, the Security Council, and the Arab League,” he added.
The enemy persists in committing these crimes before the eyes of the entire world, Sayyed Al-Houthi said: emphasizing that behind the savage aggression of the IOF is the shameless audacity of the American who is complicit in the crimes.
“The Americans provide all forms of support to the enemy to persist with its crimes and prevent other countries from providing support and assistance to the Palestinian people.”
The Americans try to manufacture consent for the ongoing genocide against Palestinians by garnering support from the European states for the Israeli war machine, he added.
“The Americans sought to incite against the Palestinian people and classify their resistance leaders as terrorists.”
Most European countries stand in support of the occupation and pledge military support to it despite the occupation’s massive military potential, he noted.
“The US, the UK, and European countries support the occupation in its destructive war against the Palestinians and assist it in its savage killing operations.”
This stance is not strange for Americans and the British, for they are vehement subscribers to the Zionist ideology, he added.
Biden and Blinken went on visits to the occupation, affirming their allegiance to Zionism and pledging to fulfill their commitments to it, he explained.
Slamming the hypocrisy of the Western standards of human rights and morality, Sayyed al-Houthi noted that when Zionism is at stake, Westerners suddenly give up on their alleged commitments to human rights, children’s rights, and women’s rights.
“In the eyes of Europeans and Americans, the Palestinian people do not have a right to confront injustice and defend themselves and their sanctities.”
“For more than a hundred days, the fighters in Gaza have been facing the Israeli death machine. The Americans see that, based on their Zionist commitments, they have a right to support the Israelis while they consider it unacceptable for Palestinians to defend their rights,” he compared.
“The mobilization of the resistance axis from Hezbollah in Lebanon to the resistance in Iraq is a result of their commitments to the oppressed Palestinian people.”
“American leaders, out of a commitment to the Zionist lobby leaders, stand with the occupation, so how can we not stand with the Palestinians? How can we not support the Palestinian people on the front lines in defending their rights and how can we not confront the oppressors and tyrants?”
“Against whom will our nation fight if it does not stand now against this Israeli, American, and British tyranny?”
“If the Yemeni people did not move to support the Palestinian people, it would be a denial of their religious duties.”
Sayyed al-Houthi said that Yemeni support has manifested in the ballistic missile attacks against the occupation and at sea by enforcing a blockade on Israeli navigation.
“What we do at sea has had a very significant economic impact on the entity. The American-British aggression against our country confirms the effectiveness of what we do at sea in support of the Palestinians.”
Hezbollah’s Secretary General Sayyed Hasan Nasrallah pledged a swift response to Israel’s airstrike in Beirut that killed Hamas deputy head Saleh al-Arouri, asserting Lebanon’s chance to liberate its remaining land after Gaza aggression ceases, and emphasizing the need for a real equation preventing sovereignty violations.
Addressing the memorial ceremony for the late Hezbollah official Hajj Mohammad Yaghi (Abu Salim) in Baalbek on Friday, Sayyed Nasrallah indicated that the ongoing battle in the south represents a historic opportunity for the full liberation of Lebanon. Emphasizing that the resistance’s operations along the southern border confirm deterrence equations with the Zionist enemy, he highlighted the chance to establish an equation preventing any encroachment on Lebanon’s sovereignty. He credited the Lebanese front for creating this new opportunity.
Tackling the Islamic resistance front opposing the Zionist enemy along the southern Lebanese border which has initiated operations one day after the onset of Operation Al-Aqsa Flood, Sayyed Nasrallah highlighted the media’s disregard for this crucial front.
Sayyed Nasrallah revealed that, spanning over 100 kilometers and lasting more than 90 days, the resistance systematically targeted all enemy border positions and numerous rear sites and settlements in response to Zionist attacks on civilians. “Spanning over 100 kilometers and extending across a duration surpassing 90 days, our response to attacks on civilians encompassed the precise targeting of not only all Israeli border sites but also a significant array of rear sites and settlements. The resistance executed over 670 operations in the past months, with some days witnessing up to 23 operations,” Sayyed Nasrallah said.
“The targeted sites comprised 48 border sites and 11 rear positions. Additionally, 50 border points, where enemy soldiers sought refuge, were repeatedly targeted, along with 17 settlements,” his eminence specified.
Reflecting on the results of this ongoing confrontation, which endured for three months, he underscored the significant toll on enemy soldiers and officers, emphasizing the exhaustive nature of the operations. “Despite the enemy’s media secrecy, the resistance countered with approximately 90 video releases, revealing the reality of the situation.”
“Every hostile location was systematically targeted, focusing on technical and intelligence equipment. No border post remained untouched, as each one underwent multiple rounds of precise strikes. The technical equipment targeted by the resistance is estimated at hundreds of millions of dollars,” the S.G. said.
Addressing the destruction of tanks and vehicles, including incidents involving collapsing roofs on soldiers, Sayyed Nasrallah cited enemy sources from the Israeli Defense Ministry, suggesting that the number of disabled soldiers may have reached 12 thousand since October 7. He emphasized that every border site had been targeted multiple times, with a focus on the destruction of technical and intelligence equipment in all hostile locations.
Hezbollah’s leader dismissed misconceptions about the resistance’s actions, clarifying, “Our skilled marksmen direct the guided missile through the window of the enemy’s vehicle,” and refuted claims that they were merely “bombing the column.” He highlighted the precision of the resistance’s actions, explaining, “We are targeting equipment on poles worth hundreds of millions of dollars, exercising control over extensive parts of Lebanon.”
“In the second stage, enemy soldiers sought refuge in evacuated settlements and in the vicinity of the sites due to fear of the resistance factions and their targeted attacks on specific locations,” Sayyed Nasrallah highlighted, emphasizing the acquisition of accurate intelligence, photos, and footage regarding enemy positions and gatherings, leading to the destruction of numerous tanks and vehicles. Sayyed Nasrallah noted that the enemy attempted to compensate for technical losses by deploying drones and reconnaissance aircraft, maintaining strict media secrecy about casualties.
He pointed out that experts within the enemy entity estimate the real death toll to be three times higher than what the occupation army discloses. According to the Israeli Ministry of Health sources, there are over 2,000 casualties on the northern front.
Sayyed Nasrallah emphasized that if people were aware of the enemy’s human and vehicle losses, they wouldn’t doubt the futility of fighting on the northern front. He asserted that the enemy’s concealment of losses is part of psychological warfare to avoid embarrassment in its society.
Addressing the situation on the southern border, Sayyed Nasrallah quoted an Israeli minister describing it as a humiliation for ‘Israel’. He clarified that the resistance targeted military objectives, officers, and soldiers, and any strikes on houses were responses to the enemy’s attacks on civilians.
Sayyed Nasrallah pointed out that one outcome of the fighting on the southern front was the displacement of people from northern settlements, reversing the historical trend where Lebanese people were the ones being displaced during wars. “This displacement is expected to exert psychological, political, and security pressure on the enemy’s government, along with increasing anxiety on the northern front.”
Responding to queries about the feasibility of opening the northern front, Sayyed Nasrallah affirmed that the primary goals were to pressure the enemy’s government, exhaust the enemy to halt aggression on Gaza, and relieve pressure on the resistance in Gaza’s field situation. He asserted that these goals have been achieved through the Lebanese front, forcing the enemy to deploy a significant number of soldiers and withhold information about entire divisions and brigades from Gaza due to fears of developments on the front.
Sayyed Nasrallah questioned, “Does the significant number of casualties, destruction of vehicles, and displacement on the northern front not exert pressure on the enemy’s government?” Sayyed Nasrallah explained that the security belt within the entity in the north extends to a depth of 3 km, and in some areas, it reaches 7 km.
Addressing settlers seeking a ‘solution’ with Hezbollah, Nasrallah cautioned that such a choice is misguided, and they would be the first to pay the price. He urged them to turn to their government to halt the aggression against Gaza, emphasizing that any other option would only result in more displacement and higher costs for the settlers in the north.
Responding to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s comments about the resistance tent at the border, Sayyed Nasrallah challenged him to acknowledge the destruction of 48 border sites, 11 rear sites, and attacks on 17 settlements and 50 border points. He questioned whether it was the resistance causing Israeli soldiers to hide like ‘mice’, emphasizing that the scale of daily operations serves as a deterrent. Sayyed Nasrallah underscored that what is happening on the southern border is a real war, far beyond the symbolism of a ‘tent’. “The era of the tent which Netanyahu boasts about is now relegated to the past, as we find ourselves engaged in a tangible and substantial battle today.”
Sayyed Nasrallah reminded that the current operations on the southern border are not a new initiative by the resistance since 1948. In the past, only one operation similar to today’s activities occurred, resulting in Israeli bombings in Beirut. “In previous times, a single operation would result in extensive destruction across southern Lebanon,” Sayyed Nasrallah said. He noted that the Israelis are now proving the deterrence equations established by the resistance many years ago.
The secretary general saw an opportunity for Lebanon to liberate the rest of its land after the cessation of aggression against Gaza, extending from the B1 area to the Shebaa Farms. Emphasizing the chance to establish an equation preventing the enemy from violating Lebanon’s sovereignty, he stressed that dialogue and negotiation would yield no results unless the aggression against Gaza stops.
“We find ourselves at a historic juncture, presenting a unique opportunity to fully liberate every inch of our land and establish an equation that safeguards our country’s sovereignty, an opportunity initiated by the blessings of the Lebanese front,” his eminence said.
Arouri Assassination
Regarding the recent Zionist attack on Beirut and the assassination of Hamas’ Sheikh Saleh Al-Arouri, Sayyed Nasrallah affirmed that such a major and dangerous breach in the southern suburbs of Lebanon is unacceptable. He expressed deep sorrow for the loss of Sheikh Saleh, emphasizing a strong friendship.
Saleh Al-Arouri, Chairman of Hamas’ politburo who was martyred in an Israeli drone strike in Beirut’s Dahiyeh (January 2, 2023).
Sayyed Nasrallah asserted that the killing will not go without a response or punishment, with the field being the venue for this inevitable retaliation. “The killing of Sheikh Saleh Al-Arouri will undoubtedly not go unanswered or unpunished, the decision lies in the hands of the field, and it will undoubtedly be implemented,” he warned.
Remaining silent about such a serious violation would expose all of Lebanon to greater harm than any potential risks from responding in the field. “We cannot remain silent in the face of such a grave violation, as it puts Lebanon at risk.”
In his Wednesday’s speech, Sayyed Nasrallah warned the Israeli enemy against launching an all-out war on Lebanon, affirming that the Islamic Resistance will then fight without any limit. His eminence indicated that, till now, the operations carried out by Hezbollah are regulated in a way that abides by the Lebanese national interests, threatening the Israeli enemy that the limits will backlash in case of any war on Lebanon.
Iraqi Front
Shifting to the situation in Iraq, Sayyed Nasrallah highlighted a historic opportunity for the country to rid itself of American occupation, especially given the current strategic defeat faced by the United States and NATO in Ukraine. “The underlying motive is the support for Gaza, and the American administration is apprehensive about it, grappling with a predicament in Ukraine,” Sayyed Nasrallah said on the Iraqi military operations taking place nowadays.
He pointed out that the American forces have targeted members of the Popular Mobilization Forces in Iraq, emphasizing the chance for Iraq to break free from the deception and lies of American occupation. “An advantageous outcome of the Islamic resistance in Iraq opening a front in support of Gaza is the genuine prospect for Iraq to liberate itself from the American occupation.”
Sayyed Nasrallah urged the Iraqi government, the House of Representatives, and the Iraqi people to unite in rejecting the criminal occupiers who are complicit in atrocities in Gaza, Palestine, and Lebanon. “Today, there exists a historic opportunity for the Iraqi government, the House of Representatives, and the Iraqi people to extricate themselves from the occupiers and perpetrators of violence, those responsible for the bloodshed of Iraqis, Iranians, and the people of the region,” his eminence said.
He commended the Iraqi government’s courageous stance against the Al-Aqsa flood and called for the expulsion of American forces from Iraq, asserting that Iraq does not need Americans to combat ISIL, highlighting the national blessing of solidarity with Gaza as an essential part of the opportunity for American forces to leave Iraq.
“Iraq does not need American forces to combat ISIL. Currently, there are indications that certain elements associated with ISIL in Syria have sought refuge or support from American forces,” Hezbollah leader said.
Yemeni Front
Sayyed Nasrallah highlighted that certain Arab regimes and media outlets, in an attempt to deflect attention from their own failures, resorted to ridiculing the actions of the resistance front, particularly when Yemeni forces targeted Eilat. These critics accused Yemen of seeking to restore its image in the Arab world. “Al-Qaeda actively sought to undermine and discredit all efforts by the axis of resistance in supporting Gaza, attempting to mask their own failures. Those who underestimate the actions of the resistance axis today are individuals who have failed to contribute anything since the onset of the aggression on Gaza,” his eminence said.
“Engaging in jihad brings honor, while refraining from it leads to humiliation,” Sayyed Nasrallah stressed, adding that the silent and negligent regimes were taken aback by the unexpected actions of the Yemenis in the Red Sea.
Hezbollah’s Top commander commended Ansarullah, Abdul-Malik al-Houthi, and the government in Sanaa for their steadfastness, emphasizing that their concern was always about their image and status before God Almighty.
Sayyed Nasrallah pointed out that some individuals are fundamentally unsuitable for positions that require confronting the enemy, as their psychological and spiritual levels are much lower.
He noted that the Yemeni position has prompted various segments to reassess their internal stance towards Ansarullah, emphasizing that Yemen has now firmly established itself in regional and international equations, causing the world to take notice.
“A significant national achievement is that the Sanaa government has evolved from being an internal faction to becoming a pivotal component of the international equation, compelling the world to reckon with it despite attempts to marginalize it,” his eminence said.
Sayyed Nasrallah questioned the absence of the Israeli Air Force in Yemen, attributing it to Yemeni deterrence.
Addressing the Yemeni people’s recent demonstrations, Sayyed Nasrallah conveyed a message directed at the American administration, particularly President Biden, Secretary of State Blinken, and the Minister of War. He emphasized that Yemen’s message to America is that it is not facing just a government, state, or army named Ansarullah. Instead, it confronts tens of millions of Yemeni people with a history of inflicting defeats on occupiers. “The message from Yemen today is directed at the United States. It emphasizes that the challenge is not merely against the Ansarullah movement but against tens of millions of Yemeni people with a history of thwarting aggressors and inflicting defeats.”
Sayyed Nasrallah urged the Biden administration to understand this history and emphasized that Yemen will not stop or hesitate. He concluded by stating that Yemen is gaining increasing pride in the Arab and Islamic world, as well as in the eyes of friends and enemies alike.
To the Resistance environment
Addressing the families of the martyrs of the Islamic Resistance, Sayyed Nasrallah wholeheartedly expressed his with to take part in condolences. “Given my security circumstances, what I earnestly desire and hope for is to stand by your side, expressing my deep gratitude by kissing your hands and foreheads.”
Turning to the people in the south, he said: “Had the fate of the enemy been to defeat the resistance in Gaza and displace its people, their next target would have been southern Lebanon, particularly in southern Litani. It is you who shattered their ambitions!”
“Hezbollah fighters are courageously battling in a cold and rain-soaked terrain, amidst enemy shellings. They persist in advancing and launching attacks on enemy positions and gatherings, ready to be the ones to respond to the significant breach in Dahiyeh,” his eminence indicated.
At the beginning of his speech, Sayyed Nasrallah renewed condolences to the martyrs who fell at the shrine of Hajj Qassem Soleimani in Kerman. He offered condolences to Iraq, Sayyed Ali Sistani, the Popular Mobilization Forces, and the Nujaba Movement on the martyrdom of Hajj Abu Taqwa al-Saidi.
Sayyed Nasrallah allocated a significant part of his speech to talk about Hajj Abu Salim Yaghi, whose commemoration ceremony was held in Sayyeda Khawla Shrine in Baalbek. He enumerated the multiple traits of Yaghi along with the deep friendship that gathered them.
“Hajj Abu Salim emerged as a revolutionary force and dedicated activist in the Baalbek region, leaving an indelible mark on his surroundings. My testimony regarding Hajj Abu Salim is not just a mere account; it stands as a tangible testament to our enduring connection that dates back to our youth in 1978… From the outset, a profound bond of brotherhood, love, friendship, and unwavering trust blossomed between us within the first few hours of our acquaintance.”
The Five Eyes to the war.. A military expert reveals the information: Gush Dan will be returned in ashes and the Green Beret Brigade Dr
Wassim Bazzi, with details that reveal for the first time about Al-Arouri and the security gaps…dangerous messages that arrived in Lebanon in the past hours
Scene | Sayyed Nasrallah: The response will definitely come 01-05-2024
“Yemen has said it would stop the blockade of Israel-bound ships as soon as sufficient food, water and medicine are allowed to enter Gaza. Guess that’s asking too much.” Elizabeth Murray@elizabethmurra
Yemen’s Houthi militia has shown how a small army can take on the American Empire and win. They have shown how courage, resolve and commitment to principle can act as a force-multiplier allowing a much weaker military to ‘punch above its weight’. They’ve also shown that a few well-placed missiles in key locations on the world’s most critical shipping lanes, can send tremors across the global economy and shake the “rules-based order” to its foundations. In short, the Houthis have shown that David can bring down Goliath without breaking a sweat, provided that David maintains his perch along the Bab-al-Mandab Strait.
Here’s what’s going on: The Houthis occupy an area along the narrowest part of the Red Sea that is the most important shipping corridor in the world. It is “responsible for 12% of international trade and almost one-third of global container traffic.” When the movement of ships is disrupted along this waterway, insurance premiums skyrocket, prices on retail merchandise rise, and oil prices go through the roof. That is why western powers are committed to keeping these shipping lanes open at all times whatever the cost. Here’s some background from CNN:
Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels are stepping up their strikes on ships in the Red Sea, which they say are revenge against Israel for its military campaign in Gaza.
The attacks have forced some of the world’s biggest shipping and oil companies to suspend transit through one of the world’s most important maritime trade routes, which could potentially cause a shock to the global economy.
The Houthis are believed to have been armed and trained by Iran, and there are fears that their attacks could escalate Israel’s war against Hamas into a wider regional conflict. Who Are The Houthis, CNN
At present, these shipping lanes are effectively closed due to Houthis attacks on Israeli-bound vessels. This, in turn, has slowed overall traffic to a crawl. If the current situation persists or gets worse, the impact on the global economy could be catastrophic.
Today on UK Column News (1pm UK time) I will cover the latest on Yemen and how Ansarullah is already winning the war against the US-led global coalition destined for failure in the 'graveyard of invaders' which is the Yemen. pic.twitter.com/ZKXhuyiAjO
On Monday, oil giant BP became the latest company to announce it would be pausing its shipments through the Red Sea. Several shipping companies, including MSC, Maersk, Euronav and the Evergreen Group, have said they are also avoiding the Suez Canal as militants target cargo vessels.
Roughly 10 percent of all maritime oil trade goes through the Red Sea — which connects to the Mediterranean Sea via the Suez Canal. Without access to the Red Sea route, many ships will have to take the far longer and costlier journey around Africa to reach their destinations….
It’s worth noting that the Houthis have repeatedly said that ships that are NOT bound for Israeli ports, will not be attacked. But that has not stopped all of the major shipping companies from rerouting their vessels from the Red Sea to the Cape of Good Hope. This alternate route adds weeks to the sailing time forcing carriers to raise their cargo prices and adjust their schedules. Bottom line: The action of the Houthis is going to further boost inflation in western countries pushing their economies into a sharp and protracted nosedive.
Surprisingly, the Houthis do not stand to gain anything for their efforts. In fact, they are putting themselves at great risk (of retaliation by the United States) in order to pressure Israel into stopping its relentless bombardment of the Gaza Strip and to allow the starving Palestinian people access to food, water and medical supplies. The Houthis should probably be applauded for their selfless compassion and humanity, but Washington doesn’t see it that way. They don’t think see the Houthis’ action as laudable, virtuous or just. They see it as a challenge to American primacy. They see it as a threat to their regional hegemony and global leadership. They see it as interference in their Gaza policy in which Israel has been granted carte blanche to kill and maim as many Palestinians as it sees fit in order to achieve its own strategic objective, which is Greater Israel. So, what we have is an unstoppable force and an immovable object. We have two opposing points of view, and no way to resolve their differences without a direct military confrontation. That means there’s going to be trouble in the very near future.
And that is why, last Monday, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin announced that he had assembled a ten-member maritime coalition that would patrol the waterways in the Red Sea and defend the “freedom of navigation” in that area. (Coalition members include: Britain, Bahrain, Canada, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Seychelles, and Spain.)
Now a reasonable person might wonder why Austin would cobble together another makeshift military coalition—whose strategic goals are far from clear—instead of first contacting the Houthi leadership to see if a deal could be worked out and a confrontation avoided. But those who have followed US foreign policy for the last 30 years, know that the US does not negotiate with people or countries it considers its inferiors. So, that option was quickly discarded. Instead, the US has decided to pursue its traditional approach to emerging crises, which involves a fair amount of incendiary rhetoric followed by a military hammer-blow. And, that appears to be the direction that things are now headed. Check out this excerpt from an article by John Helmer:
“… on Monday, in the Moscow newspaper Vedomosti, it was reported that Russian experts expect “most likely, the Americans will launch missile and bomb attacks on command centres and military depots of the Houthis, or targeted strikes by special forces may follow in order to eliminate the commanders of the movement. The operation will be roughly comparable to the actions of Western allies in Syria or Iraq.” The newspaper claimed that, according to its source, “the military forces of Saudi Arabia and the UAE may participate in the operation – their armed forces and their proxies have been waging a sluggish war against Iran’s allies in Yemen since 2015. John Helmer,Dancing With Bears
And respected publications in the western media are calling for a war with the Houthis too. This is from The World Socialist Web Site:
The US media is, meanwhile, agitating for the Biden administration to target both Yemen and Iran. In an editorial, the Wall Street Journal wrote, “The press is reporting that the Biden Administration is contemplating the use of military force in response to continuing attacks on commercial shipping by the Houthi militia in Yemen. It’s about time. The Houthi missile attacks pose the most significant threat to global shipping in decades, and they will continue unless a global coalition unites to stop them.”
The Journal continued, “The question is whether the U.S. and other Western navies are merely going to play defense and catch missiles as the Houthis set the terms of battle. Sooner or later a Houthi missile may get past U.S. naval defenses and kill American sailors. Then the White House will have little choice other than to strike back.” The Journal demands that the US escalate against Iran, declaring, “Eventually Iran’s rulers have to know that their assets—military and nuclear—are at risk if they continue to foment disorder, attack U.S. allies, and target American bases or ships.” As Gaza genocide continues, US prepares major escalation of war throughout Middle East, World Socialist Web Site
So, there’s definitely an element within the foreign policy establishment that supports the idea of a war on Yemen. We expect this ‘rush to war’ will gain momentum in the weeks ahead as more ships are diverted to Africa and hostilities continue to mount. But there’s no sign that the Houthis are going to ease up on their demands or abandon the Palestinian cause anytime soon. If anything, they appear to be more resolute than ever as is evident in this quote by Houthi Council member Muhammad al-Bukhaiti,
“Even if America succeeds in mobilizing the entire world, our operations in the Red Sea will not stop unless the massacre in Gaza stops. We will not give up the responsibility of defending the Moustazafeen (oppressed ones) of the Earth.”
There’s not a lot of wiggle-room here. The Houthis want a cessation of the violence and the distribution of humanitarian aid. And they are willing to go to war with the United States to make sure their demands are met. And no one knows better than the Houthis, what that means. During the 9 years they were at war with Saudi Arabia, Washington provided the weapons and embargo-power that led to the deaths of an estimated 377,000 people. “More than half died due to starvation and disease caused by the siege.” (Antiwar.com)
So, the Houthis know what savagery Washington is capable of. Even so, they are not backing down and not caving in. There’s going to be a ceasefire or there’s going to be a war. It’s up to Biden to decide. But if he opts for war, he should realize that it’s not going to be a cakewalk. Oh, no. There are going to be attacks on American bases, American warships and Saudi oil fields and infrastructure. Oil prices will soar, commercial shipping will grind to a standstill, and global equities will tumble. And, all the while, China and Russia will be watching from the sidelines while Uncle Sam drains his last ounce credibility and power down a black hole on the Arabian Peninsula.
This is how Houthi leader Sayyed Abdul-Malik al-Houthi summed it up:
“If the US wants to go to war with us, they must know that we are waiting. We want a direct war between Yemen and the US and Israel. We are not afraid of America and all the people of Yemen will stand against them.”
This is a war that the United States can easily avoid by simply ‘doing the right thing’ and approving a ceasefire now. That will bring a swift end to Israel’s atrocities and stop the attacks on commercial shipping at the same time. That’s a solution we can all live with.
The Armed Forces announced today, Sunday, a new phase of targeting ships of the Zionist enemy entity and those dealing with the entity. The Armed Forces declared in a statement that, stemming from religious, national, and ethical responsibility, and in view of the brutal American-Israeli aggression that the Gaza Strip is subjected to, where daily massacres and genocidal extermination are taking place, and in response to the demands of our Yemeni people and the demands of free peoples and the rescue of our oppressed people in Gaza, it will target all types of the following ships:
Ships flying the flag of the Zionist entity.
Ships operated by Israeli companies.
Ships owned by Israeli companies.
The Yemeni Armed Forces appealed to all countries of the world to withdraw their citizens working within the crews of these ships and to avoid shipping on board or dealing with them, and that it is incumbent on the countries of the world to inform their ships to stay away from these ships.
Yesterday, a prominent source in the Yemeni naval forces confirmed that the naval forces are capable of targeting Israeli ships in the Red Sea or any other place that the Zionist enemy does not expect. The prominent military source pointed out in a statement to the Yemeni News Agency (Saba) that the armed forces are about to target all Israeli ships, whether they are heading to occupied Palestine or any other country.
On the 14th of this November, Sayyid Abdulmalik Badr al-Din al-Houthi confirmed in a speech that Yemen is monitoring Zionist ships in the Red Sea to strike and punish them, and will continue to search despite the enemy’s attempts to camouflage them. He affirmed that they will spare no effort, and the missile force has started its work, and carried out a number of operations with missile shelling, and long-range missiles, to the south of occupied Palestine; to target Zionist Israeli targets there, as well as the drone aircraft.
Sayyid al-Houthi made a statement regarding the situation in the Red Sea. He said, “Especially in Bab al-Mandab, and what borders the Yemeni territorial waters, our eyes are open for permanent monitoring. We are constantly searching for any Israeli ship.”
He added some information for everyone’s understanding. “The Israeli enemy depends on its movement in the Red Sea, especially from Bab al-Mandab, on smuggling and camouflage. They did not dare to raise the Israeli flags on their ships. Instead, they resort to smuggling and closing Electronic radio devices.”
Moreover, Sayyid al-Houthi confirmed the intentions of the Yemeni forces. “We will target the ships of the Zionist enemy. They will not succeed in hiding. Even so, they will not succeed. We will search until we verify the ships that belong to them. We will not hesitate to target them.”
He wanted to let everyone know about the fear of the enemy. “The enemy is afraid. They depend on this method. This indicates the extent of the effectiveness and impact of the position of our country and our people. It also shows its impact on the Israeli enemy. They are afraid to this extent.”
He pointed out the enemy’s actions in Arab countries. “At a time when they raise the Israeli flags in their embassies in Arab countries, and in the capitals of Arab countries, they do not dare to raise the Israeli flag on ships passing through the Red Sea, or from Bab al-Mandab. Instead, they raise the flags of other countries. They camouflage their ships and close devices so that they seek not to be detected.”
Finally, he confirmed their determination. “But – Allah willing – we will catch them, with the success of Allah. We will punish them. At any level our hands and capabilities reach, we will not hesitate to target the Israeli enemy. This is our declared, explicit, and clear position. Let the whole world know about it.”
After the speech of Sayyid Abdulmalik al-Houthi, the Armed Forces announced the start of taking all practical measures to implement the issued directives regarding the appropriate treatment of any Israeli ship in the Red Sea. It confirmed that it will not hesitate to target any Israeli ship in the Red Sea or any place that the Yemeni Armed Forces can reach, starting from the moment this statement was announced.
The Armed Forces also confirmed that military operations against the Israeli enemy will not stop until the Israeli aggression stops against our brothers in the steadfast Gaza.
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Yemen threatens “Israel” by targeting its ships in the Red Sea and Bab al-Mandab
The command of the Yemeni Armed forces issued late Tuesday a statement which affirms commitment to striking Israeli ships in the Red Sea in line with the threat made earlier by the Leader of Ansarullah Movement Sayyed Abdul Malik Badreddine Al-Houthi.
Al-Houthi: We monitor Israeli ships in the Red Sea
The Yemeni Armed Forces will persist in their efforts against the “Israeli” enemy until the aggression upon our brave brothers in Gaza ceases, according to the statement.
“With the guidance of Allah, our armed forces have initiated a strategic operation, launching ballistic missiles aimed at key objectives within the occupied Palestinian territories, including sensitive sites in Umm al-Rashrash (“Eilat”). This follows a recent drone strike conducted within the same region just 24 hours ago.”
The Yemeni military media released a video that confirms willingness to target the Israeli ships:
Al-Houthi on Tuesday announced that Yemeni forces would intensify attacks on Israeli targets in occupied Palestine, stating intention to target Israeli ships in the Red Sea and the Bab al-Mandeb Strait.
Sayyed Al-Houthi affirmed that Yemeni forces will persist in striking targets inside occupied Palestine, expressing unwavering support for the Palestinian people and their resistance against the Zionist aggression.
Tel Aviv’s war on the beleaguered Gaza Strip represents the first real test of the ‘Unity of Fronts’ concept, which may see a wide range of Axis of Resistance regional groups join the Palestinian resistance in a war on Israel.
Photo Credit: The Cradle
Just hours after the launch of Operation Al-Aqsa Flood, the deadliest resistance offensive for Israel since its inception, supporters hit the streets in numerous Arab and Muslim-majority countries. Yet one nation, Yemen, stood out, despite its vast geographical distance from occupied Palestine.
Not unlike previous mass demonstrations in solidarity with Palestine, hundreds of thousands of Yemenis poured into the streets of various cities, unwavering in their declaration of readiness to stand with the Palestinian resistance against what they saw as the “enemy of the Ummah.”
In a stirring speech delivered on 10 October, Abdul-Malik al-Houthi, the leader of the Ansarallah movement, proclaimed that Yemenis are ready to “perform their sacred duty to stand by the Palestinian people.”
“Our people are ready to move in hundreds of thousands and join the Palestinian people to confront the enemy, and we will not hesitate to do everything possible,” he added, before emphasizing that “We are in coordination with the Axis of Resistance, and if the Americans intervened militarily directly, we are ready to participate even with rocket shelling.” Notably, like other members of the Axis, Houthi warned the enemies against crossing certain “red lines.”
Yemen’s red lines
Yemeni military expert Aziz Rashid posits that the US “is unable to engage in a direct clash with the Axis of Resistance because this will have serious repercussions on American and Zionist interests.”
Speaking to The Cradle, Rashid explains that that the “red lines” justifying Yemeni involvement in the conflict are not limited to direct US intervention. He points to other triggers for crossing these lines, including ongoing Israeli atrocities against the Palestinians, attacks on Jerusalem, Jenin, and Nablus in the West Bank, the request for intervention by Gaza’s resistance, and any serious attempts to eliminate the resistance. Crucially, he points out that these violations will trigger a coordinated response by the entire Axis“through the joint operations rooms.”
For the Yemeni populace, the Palestinian cause has long represented a principled, religious, moral, and national commitment. Political analyst Talib al-Hassani believes that “one of the reasons for the US-Saudi aggression against the state since March 2015 is Yemen’s position within the Axis of Resistance and the great danger it poses to the United States’ interests in the region.”
But the question remains whether a nation already worn down by eight years of relentless conflict and besieged conditions can realistically participate in military action against Israel.
“Some may see this position as a show,” Hassani tells The Cradle, “but, in reality, Yemen has significant military capabilities that enable it to target Israel.” He highlights the transformation Yemen underwent after the 21 September Revolution in 2014, whose objectives encompassed liberating itself from foreign dominance and aligning with Arab and Islamic causes, including the Palestinian issue.
Ansarallah’s arsenal
Tel Aviv takes these threats seriously. Israeli media sounded the alarm after Operation “Yemen Hurricane” on 17 January, 2022 when Ansarallah-aligned Yemeni forces struck UAE oil facilities with ballistic missiles and drones in Abu Dhabi and Dubai – this, from a distance of around 1,600 kilometers, which is equivalent to the distance between Yemen and Israel. That the Yemenis could potentially target the Israeli ports of Eilat, Tel Aviv, and Haifa were no longer in question.
Rashid underscores that any Yemeni involvement in the war would likely materialize in the form of drone and missile attacks targeting specific objectives, as per the Resistance Axis’ strategic plan, the Unity of Fronts.
Hassani further explains that these strikes “may extend beyond the occupied Palestinian territories to the sea lanes and American and Israeli bases in the Red Sea and the African side of the Red Sea.” He points to Houthi’s emphasis in his last speech that “we must have an impact on the Israeli enemy,” which means that the strikes “will be large, focused, accurate, and painful.”
Ansarallah’s formidable arsenal, some of which were showcased in a military parade in Sanaa during last month’s anniversary of the revolution, includes the impressive Samad 3 attack drones, which have a range of 1,800 kilometers and are armed with explosive warheads weighing between 20 and 50 kilograms.
Additionally, there’s the Eid 2 drone, carrying a hefty 40-kilogram explosive warhead and capable of reaching targets of up to 2,000 kilometers. The Yemeni army also possesses long-range surface-to-surface ballistic missiles like the Quds 4, Aqeel, and Toofan. Notably, their naval missiles can target Israeli and US bases in the Red Sea, as well as US bases in the Persian Gulf.
Checking the US in Iraq
In Iraq, the resistance has already begun to hint at what lies ahead. On Wednesday, Kataib Hezbollah claimed credit for drone attacks on the Ain al-Assad and Al-Harir bases, in which a number of US servicemen were injured. The following day, the group’s spokesman, Jaafar al-Husseini, explained the reasons for the strike clearly:
“The Americans are essential partners in killing the residents of the Gaza Strip and therefore, they must bear the consequences…[The US] knows very well the potential of the Iraqi resistance, which has multiplied for some time, and today we are at a stage capable of striking all American bases in Iraq.”
Iraq, a country in which the Resistance Axis played a pivotal role in territorially defeating ISIS, exhibits no less enthusiasm for supporting the Palestinian resistance, especially in the face of relentless Israeli bombardment and potential direct US involvement.
In addition to Iraqi Prime Minister Muhammad Shiaa al-Sudani’s official condemnation of the occupation army’s genocide campaign, factions aligned with the Axis are gearing up for potential engagement in the multi-front war when the call is made. These factions aim to replicate the role they played in the Syrian theater against foreign-backed terrorist organizations.
A source within one of the Iraqi resistance factions reveals to The Cradle that coordination has already been established with Hamas. In recent days, meetings have taken place between Iraqi resistance factions to map out strategies for responding to Israeli attacks on Gaza, with a focus on expanding the battle’s scope to deter Israeli occupation forces. And the first course of action will be to ensure that Tel Aviv fights alone:
“The Iraqi factions are monitoring the course of events in Palestine, especially with regard to American and European intervention in military operations alongside Israel. We have taken measures on the ground and we are fully prepared, and the target bank has been determined in the event of any direct American intervention in the war.”
Secretary-General of the Iraqi Hezbollah Brigades Abu Hussein al-Hamidawi threatened in a statement to target US bases in Iraq if the US intervened in Israel’s Gaza war. He stressed that “our missiles, drones, and special forces are ready to target the American enemy in its bases if it intervenes in this battle, and we will target known sites of the Zionist entity.” Additionally, a source close to the Iraqi resistance told The Cradle that there are other means available to support Gaza’s resistance from Iraq that might place pressure on the US and Israel and change the equation – that we might witness in the upcoming hours or days.
Palestine’s got allies too
The leader of Asaib Ahl al-Haq, Sheikh Qais al-Khazali, made a phone call to Hamas Political Bureau Chief Ismail Haniyeh on 10 October, in which they discussed developments in Gaza. In a statement afterward, Khazali stressed that “Iraq is committed to supporting the Palestinian cause, and that the Iraqi resistance factions are fully prepared for any action required of them to liberate Holy Jerusalem and support the Palestinian people.”
Meanwhile, the head of the Badr Movement, Hadi al-Ameri, threatened the US occupying forces with “heavy losses” if Washington decided to intervene directly in the war. At a recent press conference, he held the US “responsible for what is happening in the Gaza Strip because of its unlimited support for the Zionists,” and said it “will suffer a great loss if it decides to enter the war on the side of the Zionist entity against the Palestinian people.”
Military expert Nawaf al-Badrani explains that, unlike Yemen’s resistance forces, Iraqi groups have some geographic limits:
“The Iraqi factions do not have ballistic missiles capable of reaching the occupied territories. Its involvement in the battle may be through targeting American forces stationed in 10 major military bases in Iraq, or coordinating with Syria to allow faction fighters to reach the borders of the occupied Golan.”
Iraqi sources reveal that fighters from certain armed factions have already moved toward areas near occupied Palestine, awaiting instructions to engage in the battle against the Israeli occupation army.
Contact made by The Cradle with several faction leaders confirms that these parties are prepared to participate in this “great fight” alongside the Palestinian resistance.
The views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect those of The Cradle.
Leader of Ansarullah Movement Sayyed Abdul Malik Badreddine Al-Houthi stressed that Yemen is ready to participate even in waging rocketry and drone attacks if the Americans intervene directly in the Zionist aggression on Gaza.
In a televised speech on Tuesday, Sayyed Al-Houthi hailed the Palestinian Resistance fighters, felicitating all the Palestinians on the great victory of Al-Aqsa Flood Operation.
“Should the geographical barriers be removed, hundreds of thousands of Yemeni fighters are ready to back the Palestinian resistance against the Zionist aggression on Gaza.”
Sayyed Al-Houthi affirmed that Ansarullah Movement is in full coordination with the axis of resistance in order to maintain certain redlines, stressing that the Palestinian fighters will not be left alone.
He lauded the recent surprise attack by Gaza-based resistance groups against the Israeli occupying regime as a momentous “historic victory” that has disrupted established equations and inflicted substantial losses on the illegitimate entity.
In his address, he emphasized that “Operation al-Aqsa Storm” constituted a “legitimate” response to decades of Israeli aggression and atrocities against Palestinians. Since the operation began on Saturday, resistance groups in the besieged Gaza Strip have launched over 5,000 rockets towards the occupied territories. Israeli media outlets report that more than 1,000 settlers and soldiers have been killed, with many more injured as a result.
Al-Houthi stated, “Operation al-Aqsa Storm is a monumental and essential operation that aligns with the legitimate rights of Palestinian fighters and the Palestinian people. It enables them to confront their oppressive, criminal occupiers—the enemy who subjects them to various injustices and daily violence.” He further highlighted that Israel not only kills innocent civilians, including children and women, but also denies them their fundamental rights, including the right to independence and freedom, while unlawfully occupying their land.
Describing “al-Aqsa Storm” as an “unprecedented historic victory” achieved through the heroic resistance effort, al-Houthi stressed that it had significant repercussions, breaking established norms and inflicting losses on the ruthless Zionist enemy.
He underlined the enduring oppression faced by the Palestinian people since the establishment of the usurping Israeli regime, which has systematically practiced injustice and tyranny against them. He noted, “The origins of this regime are steeped in crime, murder, attacks in various forms, land usurpation, rights confiscation, and the abduction and torture of the Palestinian people.”
Al-Houthi also called out Western governments and the United States for their complicity in Israeli crimes against Palestinians, emphasizing, “Since its inception, the Israeli regime has been nurtured by arrogant colonial powers, starting with Britain and culminating with the US. It has consistently enjoyed unwavering support from Americans and Western nations.” He asserted that the US bears responsibility for its partnership in the Israeli enemy’s criminal actions against innocent civilians, especially women and children.
Al-Houthi further contended that ‘Israel’ lacks legitimacy and criticized the international community and world bodies for their inaction regarding Israel’s decades-long aggression against Palestinians. He questioned the United Nations’ effectiveness in addressing the plight of the Palestinian people and argued that Israel’s UN membership should be reconsidered due to its lack of legitimacy.
In his televised address, Al-Houthi commended the combat readiness of Palestinian resistance fighters in Gaza, noting their significant capabilities and tangible achievements over the years. He called upon everyone to support the Palestinian people and their resistance fighters through political, media, and even military means. Al-Houthi stressed that it is unacceptable to witness the Palestinian people and their heroic fighters receive limited support while Western countries continue to back the oppressive Zionist enemy.
Lastly, Al-Houthi condemned the “shameful” normalization efforts by certain Arab countries, asserting that such actions undermine the Palestinian people’s struggle by isolating them from crucial support. He emphasized the importance of standing in solidarity with the Palestinian cause against the backdrop of normalization agreements that compromise the Palestinians’ quest for justice and liberation.
Lebanese Hezbollah supporters hold portraits of Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah and Abdul-Malik al-Houthi, the leader of the Yemeni Ansar Allah, Beirut, Lebanon, October 12, 2016 (AP)
Yemeni Ansar Allah leader Sayyed Abdul-Malik al-Houthi underlines the need for Islamic cohesion on the birthday of Prophet Mohammad PBUH.
The global Zionist lobby and its American, Israeli, and some European arms are seeking to contain and infiltrate the Islamic Ummah, said Yemeni Ansar Allah movement leader Sayyed Abdul-Malik al-Houthi on Tuesday.
In his speech on the eve of the birth anniversary of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), al-Houthi stressed that the enemies of the Islamic world have reached the point of interfering in the curricula of Arab and Islamic countries.
Soft warfare aims to control the Muslim world in various fields, he said, adding that the Islamic people need to be cohesive in order to regain their leading role in the world.
According to the Yemeni leader, Muslims today, more than ever, need to strengthen their connection to the Messenger of Allah, Muhammad (PBUH), and the Quran, in order to regain their freedom, dignity, and liberation from all forms of subjugation.
Regarding the occasion of the noble birth anniversary of the Prophet, Sayyed al-Houthi said that the extent of engagement with this occasion enhances hope, meaning that the Yemeni people are qualified to provide a distinguished example of their faith and loyalty to the Messenger of Allah.
“The anniversary of the Prophet’s birth connects us to the greatest Islamic symbol, the Messenger of Allah, Muhammad, and it strengthens our connection to Islam and the Quran, enhancing awareness,” he underlined.
National wealth squandered, plundered
Regarding Yemen’s internal affairs, al-Houthi revealed that the absence of competency standards is one of the main reasons for problems in all state institutions, adding that the deprivation of services is an issue that Yemenis all over the nation complain about.
“National wealth has been squandered and plundered for decades, not harnessed for the service of the Yemeni people,” he said. Some political figures have accumulated immense wealth, and they are now enjoying it in the UAE, Egypt, Turkey, and elsewhere, the leader added.
“Officials from the previous regime are shedding crocodile tears for the Yemeni people today, standing with the coalition of aggression after they contributed to the shedding of Yemeni blood.”
Al-Houthi underlined that the stability of state institutions in recent years is an achievement in and of itself, adding that the situation in state institutions should not continue as it is because there are deep imbalances in systems, laws, and procedures.
He asserted his belief that radical change should be accompanied by popular direction to change the reality of institutions, noting that there are effective and loyal cadres who have served the country diligently in various provinces, but there are also weak cadres, some of whom are exploited and others are hostile.
The enemies want the Yemeni people to become without identity or belonging, hoping that the people achieve freedom, independence, and dignified living.
He stressed that the Yemeni people are among the most virtuous in the world in preserving their moral and religious values, as evidenced by their interaction with the commemoration of the noble birth anniversary of the Prophet.
Military capabilities bolster hope
The leader of the Ansar Allah movement affirmed that Yemen’s enemies have witnessed the capabilities of the movement’s military, and they have seen its strikes reaching deep into Saudi Arabia and the UAE despite their possession of advanced defense systems.
He emphasized that the significant achievements in the military field instilled hope in the Yemeni people for actual change and effective reform in state institutions.
A few days ago, the annual Grand Prophet’s Festival took place in Sanaa, which included theatrical, musical, and poetic performances, commemorating the noble birth anniversary of the Prophet.
As part of the celebrations held in Yemen, cities and villages across Yemen were illuminated with green colors, from the mountains to the coasts.
Previously, Sayyed al-Houthi addressed Yemen’s military capabilities and its recent advancements, in a speech commemorating the September 21st Yemeni Revolution.
The leader said Yemen continues to improve its missile and rocket arsenal, comprising long-range rockets, ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, and various attack drones.
“Our country possesses missile technology, and the missile capabilities have evolved exponentially from long-range missiles to guided and ballistic ones, not to mention drones,” he said.
Sayyed al-Houthi pointed out that the blockade imposed on Yemen led to inverse results pushing its military to domestically produce weapons ranging “from pistols to missiles.”
He added that Yemen’s Armed Forces have also been remarkably successful in foiling several terrorist attacks, including assassination attempts, underscoring their vast contributions to maintaining Yemeni security.
The US administration has opted to employ aggressive policies against Yemen, taking advantage of internal division in an attempt to push the country into the abyss, al-Houthi emphasized.
Furthermore, the Yemeni leader highlighted the dire crisis that Yemen’s National Army endured during the US administration prior to the September 21 Revolution, marked by infighting within its ranks, under the auspices of the US.
The US administration aimed to exploit internal division in Yemen for its own strategic ends, but according to the Ansar Allah leader, the Yemeni people were cognizant of Washington’s intentions and effectively thwarted its plans on September 21, 2014.
In the context of the war on Yemen, al-Houthi said the US-Saudi-led coalition killed thousands of Yemeni civilians, carrying out genocides in the country through direct military action, not to mention the siege, which has left millions endangered by starvation.
On Prophet Muhammad’s (PBUH) Birthday, huge crowds of Yemenis flocked into the main avenues, squares and parks in the various provinces to the mark the dear occasion.
The participants celebrated the occasion and reiterated commitment to Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) and Holy Quran.
Head of the Supreme Political Council Mahdi Al-Mashat led the attendees whose squares were filled with the massive crowds.
Ansarullah Movement’s Chief Sayyed Abdul Malik Badreddine Al-Houthi addressed the crowds and highlighted the reflections of the occasion.
Sayyed Al-Houthi indicated that the enemies are trying to shred the social fabric of the Yemenis under racist, sectarian, regional and political pretexts in order to push the nation into partition.
Sayyed Al-Houthi advised the aggression forces to halt the war and blockade imposed on the Yemenis and release the revenues of the oil resources needed to pay the salaries as well as the subsidies.
Sayyed Al-Houthi affirmed that the first stage of the drastic change is forming a new government composed of professional ministers and based on the national partnership.
Ansarullah Leader affirmed the rejection of all the forms of normalization with the Zionist enemy, voicing solidarity with the Palestinian people.
Sayyed Al-Houthi also highlighted the Yemenis’ commitment to Holy Quran, underscoring its basic position in the process of drastic change.
Hezbollah Secretary-General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah underlines that the resistance part does not seek to garner power in Lebanon, but rather to protect the people’s interests.
Nasrallah: We will go out to the squares and our central slogan is “At your service, O Quran, at your service, O Hussein, at your service, O Mahdi.”
The perpetrators of the bombing in the Sayedah Zeinab area in Damascus are terrorist extremists with a clear objective, Hezbollah Secretary-General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah said Friday.
An explosive device was detonated in Sayyidah Zeinab, south of Damascus, Syria, killing at least six people and injuring dozens of others, an Al Mayadeen correspondent reported.
Our correspondent said an explosive-laden motorcycle made its way to the area, targeting a hotspot for Muslims who visit to perform Ziayarah rituals, marking the second terrorist attack this week.
Sayyed Nasrallah said Friday that the lovers of Ahl Al-Bayt in Syria would commemorate Ashura with great intensity despite the terrorist attempts aimed at frightening them.
On another note, talking about domestic Lebanese issues, Sayyed Nasrallah underlined that the Islamic Resistance in Lebanon “has never sought to compete with anyone for wealth or power since its establishment.”
He emphasized that in the path of Resistance and political struggle, Hezbollah does not seek authority to rule over people or to pursue positions of power.
Being in power is a means to protect and serve the people and solve their problems, he underlined.
“Hunger today is even affecting Western countries, and thousands of migrants die in the seas, and this is one of the injustices in this world,” he said, stressing that such injustice as that prevailing today has never been seen by the human race.
“The oppression, torment, and tyranny prevailing in the world today have no precedent in human history,” he said. “The world today is controlled by a small group of billionaires who are ready to incite wars.”
The Secretary-General of Hezbollah stressed that the theme of the rallies set to take place on Saturday would be defending the Quran and Ahl Al-Bayt, “and they will come out in defense of the Quran against those who insist on disrespecting it.”
“In our rallies tomorrow, we will come out to defend all the oppressed, tortured, and persecuted in Palestine, Yemen, Bahrain, and all over the world,” he added.
This comes amid similar calls from Yemen’s leadership, with Ansar Allah leader Sayyed Abdul-Malik Badereddine Al-Houthi underlining that Yemen unwaveringly stood with Palestine and the Palestinian cause, stressing that it always strives to cooperate and coordinate with the Palestinian people and resistance, as well as the entire Axis of Resistance.
“What we seek from our cooperation with the Axis of Resistance is to achieve the desired goal of liberating Palestine and saving the Palestinian people,” he added.
In the context of recent events, a statement was issued by the Ashura processions condemning the heinous act of burning copies of the Holy Quran in the capital city of Sanaa and other Yemeni governorates. The statement emphasized that commemorating this occasion is an expression of their love, loyalty, and connection to Imam Hussein.
The statement also reaffirmed their principled stance in supporting the Axis of Resistance against the Zionists, with the ultimate goal of defeating them and liberating the holy sites in Palestine.
Furthermore, they expressed their unwavering commitment to the causes of the Islamic World, especially the Palestinian cause. They maintained their opposition to the Israeli occupation and the arrogance of the United States.
Massive popular processions took place in several Yemeni provinces to commemorate the martyrdom of Imam Hussein. The participants carried banners sporting slogans against the US and the Israeli occupation while calling for the boycott of US and Israeli goods.
Sanaa saw massive demonstrations last Friday in protest of the burning of the Holy Quran.
Sayyed Nasrallah last week underlined that the masses should not fall for the apologies and statements being made by the Swedish and Danish authorities after they authorized the burning of the Holy book under the pretext of freedom of expression.
The Hezbollah chief also called for demonstrations against the desecration of sanctities by Western countries.
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The recent China-brokered rapprochement between Saudi Arabia and Iran may have a significant effect on the ongoing peace efforts between the Houthis and Saudi Arabia
Thousands took to the streets across major Yemeni cities including Sanaa, Sa’ada, and Taiz on Sunday, March 26, to mark the eighth anniversary of the beginning of the Saudi-led aggression in the country. The protesters reiterated their demand for an end to the aggression and the lifting of the blockade on the country. The leaders of the Houthi movement have called these essential conditions for peace.
The National Day of Resilience and Steadfastness, as March 26 is celebrated by the Yemenis, symbolizes their resolve amid the large-scale destruction caused by the Saudi-led coalition’s airstrikes and blockade.
Meanwhile, after eight long years of suffering caused by foreign aggression and the ill effects of the war, hopes for peace in Yemen have been renewed following the recent rapprochement between Iran and Saudi Arabia. This is relevant as Saudi Arabia has been suggesting that Iranian influence in the region and alleged support to the Houthis is one of the main reasons for the war.
Eight years of Saudi-led war in Yemen
On March 26, 2015, an international coalition led by Saudi Arabia launched its war on the Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen and imposed a punishing land, sea, and air blockade on the country, depriving it of essential commodities including food and medicine. The Saudi-led coalition alleged that the Houthis were a proxy of Iran and wanted the reinstatement of President Abd Rabbuh Mansour Hadi, who had fled capital Sana’a for the southern city of Aden after the Houthis took control of Sana’a in September 2014. Hadi later left the country to live in Riyadh.
The Saudi-led forces were supplied armaments and technical support by the US, the UK, and France.
The war has had a devastating impact on Yemen’s 33 million people, killing hundreds of thousands and forcing millions into displacement. Yemen, already the poorest country in the Arab world before the war, has, according to the UN, become the “world’s worst humanitarian crisis” of the century.
While the UN had claimed that by the end of 2021 a total of 377,000 Yemenis had been killed due to the war, the Houthi-backed administration in Sana’a claims that the real figure is over 1.5 million. This figure includes deaths caused by both direct and indirect acts of war. It also claims that the war and blockade are the primary reasons for the rise in poverty (currently at 95%) and unemployment (65%) in the country.
UNICEF has reported at least one child dies in Yemen every 10 minutes from causes that are easily preventable. According to UNICEF, at least 2.2 million Yemeni children suffer from acute malnutrition. The UN has estimated more than 11,000 Yemeni children have been either killed or severely injured in the eight years of war, also noting that actual figures could be far higher.
As per the UN, “a staggering 21.6 million people require some form of humanitarian assistance in 2023, as 80% of the country’s population struggles to access food, safe drinking water and adequate health services.”
The Houthis have repeatedly raised the continued Saudi blockade as the main reason for avoiding talks to extend the ceasefire. The Saudis have refused to respond to this, and had only partially lifted the blockade during the six months of the ceasefire.
The Saudi coalition has also had to grapple with infighting. Last year, the coalition replaced Hadi and instead installed a seven-member Presidential Council as an alternative government in Yemen.
The favorable conditions created by the Saudis’ dismissal of Hadi and the prolonged ceasefire gave Oman an opportunity to mediate talks between the Houthis and the Saudi-led coalition. The Oman-mediated process also received a boost when Saudi Arabia and Iran signed a China-mediated deal to restore diplomatic relations after a gap of seven years.
However, Yemenis are still skeptical. The US, which had actively supported Saudi Arabia’s war in Yemen until at least 2020, still sees the Houthis as dangerous to its attempts to maintain hegemony in the region.
Abdul Malik al-Houthi, leader of Ansar Allah or the Houthi movement, has made it clear that the withdrawal of foreign troops from Yemen is essential for peace. Without elaborating on the reasons, he recently expressed his apprehensions about the success of the Oman-led mediation, saying that the US was attempting to postpone “the withdrawal of foreign forces from Yemen for an indefinite period.”
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