Houthi leader warns militant group prepared for ‘long-term confrontation’ with US

News

By Ronny Reyes

Yemen’s Houthi rebels warned Tuesday that they are ready for a “long-term confrontation” with the US and its allies in the Red Sea.

Muhammad al-Attifi, the ruthless rebels’ military commander, claimed his group and Yemen stand united against America and Britain after the allies’ series of retaliatory airstrikes against the militants plaguing trade and travel routes in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden.

“We are prepared for a long-term confrontation with the forces of tyranny,” al-Attifi said in a statement about the Western-led attacks. “The Americans, the British, and those who coordinated with them must realize the power of the sovereign Yemeni decision and that there is no debate or dispute over it.”

The declaration comes just a day after thousands of members and supporters of the group flooded Yemen’s capital to hold a parade celebrating the recent attacks against US and British vessels.

The rebels have launched their attacks to protest the Western allies supporting Israel in its war against Palestinian terrorists in Gaza.

While US and UK officials noted that most of the Yemen militants’ near-daily attacks miss their intended targets, a Houthi missile did strike a British-linked tanker in the Gulf of Aden on Saturday, according to US Central Command.

The Marlin Luanda, which was carrying a highly flammable chemical used to dilute crude oil, burst into flames during the assault, with US, French and Indian naval ships deployed to assist the British tanker.

UK Defense Secretary Grant Shapps said his nation would not tolerate the attacks and reaffirmed Britain’s commitment to fight off the Houthi rebels with the US.

“This intolerable and illegal attack on maritime shipping is the latest on innocent people and global trade,” Shapps said in a statement. “It is our duty to protect freedom of navigation in the Red Sea and we remain as committed to that cause as ever.”

After the attack on the British tanker, the Houthis also claimed, without providing any evidence, that they had attacked a US Navy vessel, the USS Lewis B. Puller, in the Gulf of Aden on Monday.

American officials denied the claim, stating that no such attack had been reported by the mobile base.

The US and Britain have launched repeated retaliatory strikes against the Houthis in Yemen, destroying several command posts, weapons depot and training facilities.

The attacks are aimed to diminish the group’s military capabilities in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden after the Iran-backed militants vowed to continue attacking shipping vessels unless Israel’s war on Gaza ends.

Israel declared war on Hamas terrorists in Gaza after they launched a massacre in Israel on Oct. 7, killing more than 1,200, mainly civilians.

Houthi leader Abdul-Malik al-Houthi previously proclaimed in a televised statement that it welcomed an all out war against the US and its allies.

“We praise God for this great blessing and great honor — for us to be in a direct confrontation with Israel and America,” he said.