Question: Sometime after the beginning of the Zionist regime’s military aggression on the Gaza Strip, we witnessed that the Yemeni armed forces, with the aim of helping the Palestinian nation, directly entered the battle against Zionism and attacked the Port of Eilat. What causes and factors prompted the Yemeni armed forces to opt for directly entering into the campaign of supporting the Palestinian nation?
Yemen’s Ambassador: Before answering this question, let me highlight the nature of Yemen’s supportive stance toward Gaza — a support that is not confined to the military field. We rose up in support of Gaza based on our moral, religious, and humanitarian responsibility, because we cannot stand idly by and see this large volume of Zionist crimes against the Palestinian nation. Therefore, our approach was to support Palestine from the very first moments of Operation Al-Aqsa Flood. Holding demonstrations in support of Palestine in Yemen, as well as issuing official statements by political parties and currents, showed the support of different strata of Yemen for the blessed Operation Al-Aqsa Flood.
After Operation Al-Aqsa Flood, which was a great victory for the Islamic resistance of Palestine, the Zionist regime’s savage and brutal aggression against Gaza began under the overt and unlimited support of the infidel Western countries. The crimes of the Zionists in Gaza revealed the nature of the aggression against the children of the Islamic Ummah in Palestine. The Zionist regime’s military aggression against Gaza and its horrific crimes have left tens of thousands of martyrs so far. These crimes are being perpetrated in the shadow of the silence and of course the complicity of countries, organizations, and international institutions, and, unfortunately, in the shadow of the silence of Arab and Islamic countries and their complicity with the Zionist regime. Therefore, in such a situation, the Yemeni nation considered it its duty to move in support of Palestine. As I mentioned before, in the very first moments of the blessed Operation Al-Aqsa Flood, demonstrations were held in support of Palestine in Yemen, and people asked the Yemeni armed forces to fulfill their brotherly, Islamic, moral, and humanitarian duty in support and defense of the children of Palestine against the aggressors. In the first step, the people of Yemen began to collect financial aid for Palestinian citizens. After that, they asked the army to open its bases to the youth so that they could make the necessary preparations to support their brothers in Gaza.
After that, the Yemeni parliament and government passed binding laws to boycott American and Zionist goods and prevent them from entering Yemeni markets. Also, the licenses of those American commercial companies that had previously received work licenses from Yemen’s Ministry of Industry and Trade were revoked. After these actions, the people of Yemen launched a big media campaign and while portraying the innocence of the Palestinians, they praised their sacrifices, achievements, and victories. All these measures were taken until Yemeni President Mahdi al-Mashat ordered the armed forces to start military operations in support of Palestine, citing the blessed guidelines of the leader, Abdul-Malik Badr al-Din al-Houthi, who has always emphasized the need to stand by the Palestinian nation.
The operations of the Yemeni armed forces began by targeting the Port of Eilat with missiles and drones. Then it was decided to start a military operation to prevent the Zionist regime’s ships from sailing toward the occupied territories. As I said, we could not remain hand-tied amid the continued siege and aggression against the people of Gaza. In a situation where our brothers and sisters in Palestine are deprived of any food and medicine, we cannot allow goods to pour into the Zionist regime. International organizations acknowledge that Palestinians are deprived of food and medicine. Even the United Nations secretary general traveled to the Palestinian borders at the Rafah Crossing and asked for food and medicine to enter Gaza, but no one responded to his call. We believe that with the decisions we have made, we are implementing the resolutions of the conference of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) held in Jeddah. In these resolutions, lifting the blockade of Gaza and the entry of food and medicine into this region were emphasized. Therefore, we believe that the pressure of the Yemeni armed forces on the Zionist regime will eventually lead to the issuance of a license to send humanitarian aid to Gaza. [As] this happened after the operation of the Yemenis, and you saw that — albeit partially — some humanitarian aid was allowed to enter Gaza through the Karem Abu Salem and Rafah crossings.
After that, the second step was taken by the Yemeni armed forces, who were targeting the ships that were moving toward the Zionist regime. This time, not only Israeli ships but also ships bound for the occupied territories were targeted by the Yemeni forces. The intensification of the Zionist regime’s economic blockade by the Yemeni armed forces, as well as Sana’a’s prevention of Zionist and non-Zionist companies’ goods from reaching the occupied territories, prompted the American enemy to decide to form an ominous coalition. None of the countries active in the Red Sea joined this coalition. Although the Americans stated that the main reason behind the formation of the aforementioned coalition was to secure shipping in the Red Sea, it must be said that shipping in this sea is fully secure, and all the ships — with the exception of Israeli ships and ships bound for the occupied territories — leave the sea without any problems. They cross the Red Sea and even the Arabian Sea. The head of the Suez Canal ports board also testified that shipping in the Red Sea is in a natural state.
Anyway, the Americans formed the aforesaid reprehensible coalition not because of supporting the Red Sea, but with the aim of militarizing it and establishing the presence of foreigners there. Another goal the Americans pursued through this action was to support the Zionist regime and prevent the targeting of Zionist ships by the Yemeni forces. This coalition is completely illegal, because even countries in the UN Security Council, such as Russia and China, explicitly declared that it is in violation of international law. No international organization has entrusted the responsibility of forming such a coalition to the US and England. After the formation of the aforementioned coalition, the US and England targeted Yemen with military aggression. After 10 Yemeni naval forces were martyred by American and British forces while carrying out their mission to secure shipping in the Red Sea, we entered into an all-out war with them — a war that is still going on.
Question: Can it be said that the United States of America and the West are now causing insecurity in the Red Sea?
Yemen’s Ambassador: Certainly. ... The biggest sign of this is that shipping in the Red Sea is going through its natural course, and none of the countries active in the Red Sea agreed to join the Americans’ ominous coalition. By countries active in the Red Sea I mean Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Eritrea, Somalia, and Djibouti. This shows they basically do not believe that there is a threat in the Red Sea. These countries believe that there is no reason to militarize the Red Sea and deploy foreign forces there. It is these foreigners who have changed the security of shipping in the Red Sea and the Arabian Sea. All the aforementioned countries are certain that there is no problem in the security of shipping in the Red Sea. The responsibility for ensuring the security of international waters in the Red Sea and the Arabian Sea rests with the countries active there. This country [Yemen] considers the presence of foreigners as a cause of insecurity in the Red Sea and the Arabian Sea.
As I pointed out, the military operation in the Red Sea was started only to stop the military aggression against Gaza and lift the siege of this city. Whenever the siege ends and the aggression halts, we would make a new decision. However, the American side insists on supporting the Zionist regime and sending aid to it, even if this approach is harmful to the security of shipping in the Red Sea and hurts the interests of Washington and London there.
Question: Has the trade of goods with the occupied territories through the Red Sea stopped?
Yemen’s Ambassador: Yes, it is true. ... The trade of goods with the occupied territories has been largely stopped following the military operations of the Yemeni armed forces. However, we emphasize once again that we only target Israeli ships or ships bound for the occupied territories, not other ships. Therefore, there will be no disruption in the traffic of other ships. The involvement of the US and England in the frontline of the crisis and their military aggression in Yemen forced our armed forces to target American and British ships as well.
Question: The Yemeni armed forces recently announced the beginning of the second phase of their military operations against the interests of the Zionist regime in the Red Sea. Despite the fact that the Yemenis initially targeted Israeli ships, they announced that in the second phase they would also target ships bound for the occupied territories, and, of course, they have done so. Basically, why did the Yemeni armed forces initiate the second phase and decide to raise the level of military operations against the interests of the Zionist regime? What results and consequences will this brave decision have in the field of confrontations with the Zionist enemy?
Yemen’s Ambassador: The truth is that before the start of both military phases in the Red Sea, the Yemeni armed forces issued warning statements. Thus, the Yemeni army did not shock any side with its military operations in the Red Sea. We had issued our warnings before the start of the operation, and in these warnings, we specified the nature of the operation in the Red Sea before any practical action.
Sometime after the beginning of the first phase of the military operation, we came to the conclusion that blocking the Zionist ships was not enough, because we found out that Israel had resorted to other companies to load its goods in order to bypass the military operations of the Yemeni armed forces. Therefore, we had to make a decision to counter this Israeli tactic, and ultimately, we decided to attack the ships bound for the occupied territories. Naturally, those ships were carrying goods or military equipment for the Zionists. As I mentioned earlier, before starting any military operation in the Red Sea, the Yemeni army issued warning statements many times and informed the world about this warning. We even sent diplomatic messages through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Sana’a to the United Nations and the countries active in the Red Sea, declaring that we had decided to target Israeli ships or ships bound for the occupied territories.
Although our decision to target Israeli ships or ships bound for the occupied territories arose from our duty, we knew that this decision would have ramifications as well. With all this, we willingly pay the price for this decision. We started defending Palestine and supporting Operation Al-Aqsa Flood in the battle of the Promised Conquest and the Holy Jihad with the slogan “You are not alone.” We decided not to allow the suffering of the Palestinians to persist. We decided to enter the stage with them and next to them. Indeed, this decision was not made impetuously and hastily and without conducting necessary investigations. We examined all the options and possibilities and after evaluating the possible risks, we decided to enter the campaign by trusting in God.
Question: As you mentioned, the United States of America and England launched military aggression against various areas of Yemen. However, this aggression has so far not affected the will of the Yemeni armed forces and their anti-Zionist operations, and has only raised the level of tension. How will the Yemeni resistance deal with this American-created tension?
Yemen’s Ambassador: We use all our capacities and facilities to deal with this aggression. Today, we are witnessing an all-out battle. We are currently engaged in a direct battle with the American and British enemies. They have brought all their power to the field. From the very first moment, the US and England made every effort to destroy Yemen’s military capabilities and prevent its armed forces from continuing to attack Israeli ships and ships bound for the occupied territories. They are still determined to weaken Yemen and destroy its power. However, we are also determined to continue our operations against Israeli and Israeli-affiliated vessels in the Red Sea. Today, we are facing a battle of wills, and this battle is ongoing in full swing. The situation is not such that we would witness the actions and reactions of the involved parties. Rather, what is going on is an all-out battle.
Question: Given Imam Khamenei’s repeated emphasis on the need to cut off the vital lifeline of the Zionist regime by Arab and Islamic countries, how do you think it is possible to achieve this goal, as the Yemeni nation did? What capacities do the countries of the Islamic world possess to cut off the vital lifeline of the Zionist regime? Also, how can nations put pressure on their governments to reach this end?
Yemen’s Ambassador: Let me first address the last part of your question concerning nations. Islamic nations have a huge responsibility and must fulfill this responsibility, because passivity and inaction are not accepted from them whatsoever. The reason for this is that the tools available to the nations are numerous and diverse. For example, boycotting American and Zionist goods, holding demonstrations and marches, and expressing anger at the events that are happening in occupied Palestine are part of the actions that nations can take with the aim of putting pressure on their governments. These actions can put pressure on governments to make clear, specific decisions in order to cut off diplomatic and economic relations with the Zionist regime.
Naturally, Arab and Islamic countries can play an important role in important geographical areas, especially in the Mediterranean Sea, the Red Sea, the Gulf of Aden, the Arabian Sea, and the Persian Gulf. These countries have a great responsibility before God Almighty. These countries are responsible for the suffering of the Palestinian people, who are deprived of food, medicine, and the most basic rights of life and have been subjected to mass genocide, especially given that many, unfortunately, play the role of spectators in the face of these crimes. When Imam Khamenei stresses that the vital lifeline of the Zionist regime must be cut off, he is touching exactly on the central issue. In other words, [he points out that] the passivity and inaction of the Islamic nations and the Islamic and Arab governments, as well as their refusal to fulfill their responsibilities, leads to the prolongation of the Zionist enemy’s aggression and arbitrary actions against the Palestinian nation. Nevertheless, in this blessed campaign, various fronts have been activated to fulfill their duty and are participating in it with all their might.
The question I wish to raise is: Where are the others? Why don’t they fulfill their duty? We believe that on the front of Yemen, Lebanon, Iraq, Syria, and behind all these, the front of the Islamic Republic of Iran, a lot of work is being done in support of Palestine, relying on the slogan of “Unity of the Fields,” and that they are not leaving Palestine alone against the Zionist enemy’s arbitrary actions. I say with confidence: “Different fronts of the Axis of Resistance and mujahideen and resistance movements have taken many measures against the Zionist regime and prevented the realization of the goals of this regime — goals that the Zionists have been trying to achieve. The blessed front of Jihad and resistance has never enjoyed such high coherence and coordination as it does today.
Question: Throughout the years of being subject to military aggression, the Yemeni nation was also under economic siege and endured a lot of pain and suffering. However, we are witnessing that from the very beginning of the Zionist enemy’s aggression on the Gaza Strip, the Yemeni armed forces directly joined the campaign to confront the cruel Zionist enemy. At the same time, daily demonstrations of millions of Yemeni people are being held in support of the Palestinian resistance and the actions of the Yemeni armed forces. What is the reason, or reasons, for this massive popular support?
Yemen’s Ambassador: In my opinion, this widespread popular support has many causes and factors, chief among them the sense of responsibility of us Yemenis for the events in Gaza. All the children of the Islamic world should play a supportive role toward Gaza under natural circumstances. What seems strange is the passivity and inaction toward the events in Gaza. Another point is that the Quranic school founded by Martyr Sayyid Hussein Badr al-Din al-Houthi to mobilize the Yemeni people against the Zionist and American enemies has played an important role in the formation of widespread popular support for Gaza. In addition, the Yemeni nation has been attacked for 8 years and has fully tasted the bitter taste of oppression, pain, suffering, and abandonment. Perhaps, we Yemenis understand the oppression against Palestine more than other Arab and Islamic nations, because the scar caused by the oppression against us is still fresh and has not disappeared.
We have faced the Saudi-American aggression for 8 years and now we understand well the amount of pain, suffering, and tragedy that the Palestinian nation is facing. We endured this pain and suffering alone, and we now feel the pain of the loneliness of the Palestinian nation very well. Perhaps this is the main reason behind the Yemeni people’s support for Palestine and Gaza. In addition, we entered the campaign to defend the Palestinian nation according to our religious and Quranic responsibility.
God Almighty says in the Holy Quran: “If you do not go forth [for Jihad], [God] will punish you with a painful punishment.” It is also stated in another part of the Holy Quran: “Fight the leaders of the disbelief for they have no oaths in order that they will desist (due to the severity of the action).” God also says: “And the end is good for the pious.” Furthermore, it is emphasized in another part of the Holy Quran: “The end of things is in the hands of God.” As you can see, God Almighty has emphasized that if Muslims do not fulfill their duties and responsibilities, they will be subject to God’s wrath and will be reprimanded. As Muslims, we fear God’s punishment and his wrath toward us. Therefore, we believe that any Muslim who hears the call for help “O Muslims” and does not respond is not a true Muslim. When we hear the pleas and supplications of Palestinian women, men, and captives, how can we not move to help them? First of all, we fear that if we do not fulfill our responsibility, we would be subject to God’s wrath. Anyway, before being soldiers, politicians, or diplomats, we are Muslims. It should not be forgotten that the Zionist-American-Western aggression against the Islamic and Arab Ummah has an ideological dimension as well. In the sense that they (the Zionist-American-Western axis), according to their corrupt belief, target all the righteous, the pious, and those affiliated with the great divine project.
Question: Some of the Yemeni currents and movements, which stood against the Yemeni armed forces and the popular committees of this country in previous years, adopted a positive approach toward the armed forces after the Yemeni army entered the campaign to support Palestine. How was this approach and positive attitude toward the Yemeni army formed? Is it possible to see such an approach in other cases as well?
Yemen’s Ambassador: We believe that the events in the region, and especially the events in occupied Palestine today, are a good opportunity to review the approaches and attitudes, which may not have been correct in the past. Let me raise something in relation to your previous question about the responsibility of Arab and Islamic governments and nations. We hear from some of the Zionist regime’s officials and media outlets that some Arab and Islamic governments are helping Tel Aviv. Nonetheless, we do not have any information in this regard. We believe Arab and Islamic governments must not remain silent about such issues. They must deny such claims by issuing statements, because otherwise, they would be an accomplice to the Zionist regime’s aggression against Gaza. We have also heard recently about the creation of a land bridge between the UAE and Saudi Arabia on one side and the Zionist regime on the other. Therefore, we call on the officials of these countries to clearly state their positions and respond to these claims, because otherwise, these claims may seem to be true.
Question: Mr. ambassador, how can some of the actions of these governments to circumvent the military operations of the Yemeni armed forces against the Zionist regime be prevented? Currently, after stopping the trade of goods through the Red Sea, we see that some Islamic governments have opened other routes to help the Zionist regime.
Yemen’s Ambassador: Everyone must honor their responsibility toward Gaza and Palestine. If these are true, the conspirators and participants in the aggression against Palestine must be exposed through political and media pressure. If they are not true, the countries that have been faced with these accusations must deny the claims by taking clear and overt positions. Currently, there is talk not only of sending goods, but also of sending military equipment to the Zionist regime [by some Islamic governments], and this must definitely not be done. We believe that we should not be silent about such issues. It is the responsibility of the media and politicians to expose the conspiracies that remain largely undisclosed. We must raise our voices against these conspiracies, shout out, and prevent them from coming to fruition. We Yemenis believe that no matter how much we defend Palestine, we still fall short. Therefore, those who have not done anything for Palestine must at least not take any negative steps that are in support of the Zionists. There is no need for us to mention the names of those Islamic states here. The Zionist enemy has mentioned their names through its media outlets and officials. These governments must adopt clear and appropriate positions to enlighten public opinion.
Question: Mr. ambassador, what is your opinion about the Islamic countries’ relations with each other in the shadow of the current situation and the continuation of the war against Gaza?
Yemen’s Ambassador: The current stage is suitable for opening a new page in the relations between Arab and Islamic countries in the shadow of what is happening in Palestine. We thank God that Operation Al-Aqsa Flood destroyed the American and Zionist enemies’ numerous plots to create tribal, racial, and ethnic divisions among the children of the Islamic Ummah. Thus, by making use of the opportunity that arose after Al-Aqsa Flood, we should move toward unity among the hearts of the children of the Islamic Ummah so that the countries of the Islamic world have more cooperation and unity in order to confront the enemy’s projects in the future. It should not be forgotten that the defeat of the normalization project has been proven today. Today, it has been clearly proven that the Zionist regime is not a friend but an enemy of the Islamic and Arab Ummah. Everyone knows that the Zionists are the victors of any relationship with Arab and Islamic countries, because they are used to winning concessions rather than offering them. At the same time, the brutality of the Zionist regime and its crimes highlight the need [for some Islamic countries] to reconsider any relationship with it.
Question: Currently, how are the relations between the Yemeni armed forces and popular committees on one side and the domestic groups of this country on the other?
Yemen’s Ambassador: Regarding Yemen, I must say that there are efforts by the United Nations to continue the ceasefire between us and Saudi Arabia and its supporters. There is an agreement in this regard that must be implemented. The American and Zionist enemies are trying to cause instability in Yemen through their pressures. We believe that some Yemenis made a mistake by joining the aggression coalition against Yemen. Some of them still insist on joining the US-UK coalition against Yemen. Although Saudi Arabia did not issue any statement in support of the British and American military aggression against Yemen, some domestic mercenaries welcomed this aggression by issuing a statement. This happened while the option of the Yemeni nation is completely clear, which is to confront the enemy. Of course, I must also point out that after Operation Al-Aqsa Flood many Yemeni parties and figures reconsidered their previous positions. Although they were previously supporters of the coalition against Yemen, they rectified their positions, returned to the ranks of the nation, and stood against the Zionist regime. They supported the military operations of the Yemeni armed forces against the Zionist regime in different ways. We strongly support these positions and, God willing, may what is in the interest of Yemen, Yemenis, and the whole region happen.
(The views expressed in this article are author’s own and do not necessarily reflect those of Khamenei.ir.)
This interview was originally published in the Arabic Khamenei.ir
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