Abdel-Malik al-Houthi, the Houthi leader says clash with U.S. will strengthen Militia group.
Abdel-Malik said in a televised speech that the Houthis have always emerged stronger from confrontations with their enemies.
The leader of Yemen’s Houthi militia declared on Thursday that a direct clash with the United States will 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 speech, a day after the U.S. 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 a direct confrontation with Israel and America,” he said
In the wake of Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza, the Houthi militia — an Iran-backed group that controls much of northern Yemen — has propelled itself into an unlikely global spotlight by sowing chaos in the Red Sea, attacking commercial ships and hobbling global trade.
The group has portrayed its campaign of missile and drone attacks as a righteous battle to force Israel to end its siege of Gaza, although many of its targets have had no clear connection to Israel.
In an attempt to deter the attacks, the United States has led a series of airstrikes in Yemen, but the Houthis have not backed down. Instead, they have expanded their list of declared targets to include American and British interests in the region.
The Houthis’ stance “won’t be changed by intimidation, criminality or any type of pressure,” Mr. al-Houthi said in his speech.
