Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthis said Friday they are ready to intervene militarily if other countries join the United States and Israel in their war against Iran or if the Red Sea is used to launch attacks on the Islamic Republic.
“We confirm that our fingers are on the trigger for direct military intervention,” military spokesperson Yahya Saree said in a televised address, warning against any expansion of alliances backing Washington and Israel.
Saree also said the group was prepared to act if what he described as escalation against Iran and the “axis of resistance” continued, though he did not specify what form any intervention would take.
The warning raises the prospect of a broader regional conflict, given the Houthis’ ability to strike targets far beyond Yemen and disrupt shipping routes around the Arabian Peninsula.
Iran’s allies in Lebanon and Iraq have already joined the regional fighting triggered by U.S. and Israeli strikes on Tehran. The Houthis had not previously declared direct entry into the war, despite their capabilities and strategic position overlooking the Red Sea.
Saree said the group would not allow the Red Sea to be used for “hostile operations” against Iran or any Muslim country and warned against any further tightening of what he described as a blockade on Yemen.
He also called for an immediate halt to U.S. and Israeli attacks on Iran and allied territories, including Palestinian areas, Lebanon and Iraq, and urged implementation of the Gaza ceasefire agreement.