Houthi leader says clash with US will strengthen militia group
The leader of Yemen's Houthi militia said Thursday that a direct clash with the United States would only strengthen the group, and vowed to continue attacking ships in the Red Sea.
The Houthis have always emerged stronger from confrontations with their enemies, the militia's leader, Abdel-Malik al-Houthi, said in a televised address, a day after the US military carried out airstrikes on Houthi military sites for the fourth time in a week .
“We praise God for this great blessing and great honor – for us to be in direct confrontation with Israel and America,” he said.
In the wake of Israel's war against Hamas in Gaza, the Houthi militia – an Iranian-backed group that controls much of northern Yemen – has thrust itself into the unlikely global spotlight by sowing chaos in the Red Sea, targeting commercial ships and hinder world trade. . The group has portrayed its campaign of rocket and drone attacks as a righteous struggle to force Israel to end its siege of Gaza, although many of its targets have had no apparent link to Israel.
In an effort to deter the attacks, the United States has led a series of airstrikes in Yemen, but the Houthis have not retreated. Instead, they have expanded their list of declared targets to include American and British interests in the region.
The Houthis' position “will not change through intimidation, criminality or any form of pressure,” Mr al-Houthi said in his speech.
The attacks also did not affect the Houthis' military capabilities, he said, arguing that this was a “delusion”.
Two U.S. officials warned Saturday that even after the strikes hit more than 60 missile and drone targets with more than 150 precision-guided munitions, they damaged or destroyed only about 20 to 30 percent of the Houthis' offensive capability, much of it mounted on mobile platforms and can be easily moved or hidden.
The two U.S. officials spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss internal military assessments.
“We affirm to the entire world that, as it continues, US-British aggression will increasingly contribute to the even further development of our military capabilities,” Mr al-Houthi said.
On Wednesday, the Biden administration said it would designate the militia as a terrorist organization, partly reimposing penalties on the group it disbanded nearly three years ago. This move would, among other things, block the Houthis' access to the global financial system.
In his speech, Mr. al-Houthi dismissed the designation as “funny.” He criticized the United States for its role in supporting a 2015 military intervention in Yemen by a Saudi-led coalition, which tried to defeat the Houthis but instead sparked a nine-year civil war.
Hundreds of thousands of people in Yemen died from fighting, hunger and disease. The Saudi-led coalition began to withdraw several years ago – partly due to US and international pressure over the deepening humanitarian crisis – leaving the Houthis in power in northern Yemen.
“Haven't the Americans overseen the aggression against our country for nine years?” said Mr al-Houthi. “Then they come and classify those they attack – and whom they wrong, and whom they unjustly kill – as terrorists?”