Yemen’s Houthi terrorist group held multiple rallies across the country on Friday in support of terrorist operations in the Red Sea, with thousands reportedly attending in support of Sunni jihadist terrorist group Hamas. There is.
The rally took place on the last Friday before the start of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan, which is expected to begin on Sunday or Monday in many parts of the world. It also capped a milestone week for the Houthis, who recorded their first shipwreck and first fatality in seemingly random bombing raids on commercial ships sailing in and around the Red Sea.
A photo of this handout provided by Yemen’s Al-Jumhuria TV shows the British-flagged cargo ship Rubimar sinking after being targeted by Yemen’s Houthi forces in international waters in the Red Sea on March 7, 2024. There is a picture of him there. (Al-Joumhouriah Channel, Getty Images)
The Houthis, officially known as Ansar Allah, are an Iranian-backed Shiite terrorist group that has controlled Yemen’s capital Sanaa since launching a civil war against the country’s legitimate government in 2014. The Houthis are ardent supporters of Hamas and Yemen, and following the brutal siege of Israel by Hamas terrorists on October 7, considered the deadliest day for Jews since the Holocaust, Israel As a show of support for Israel, it formally declared war on Israel in October. Hamas terrorists killed an estimated 1,200 people, including entire families in their homes, in door-to-door raids on residential areas. Terrorists also engaged in widespread acts of sexual violence, including gang rape, infanticide, kidnapping, and torture.
A man carries a weapon as he attends a graduation ceremony for cadets who have completed military training under the name “Aqsa Flood” organized by the Houthis in the al-Hab district of Sanaa, Yemen, on February 4, 2024. . (Mohammed Hamoud/Anadolu, via Getty Images)
In the aftermath of the attack, Houthi leaders launched attacks on ships sailing near Yemen, claiming they would only target vessels facilitating trade with Israel, and later extended their targets to US and British ships. It also expanded. To be sure, they are targeting ships with tenuous ties to these three countries, but they are also targeting ships with no clear ties to any of these countries or countries whose regimes enjoy friendly relations with the Houthis. They have also carried out attacks using drones and missiles against related ships. Russia, China, Iran etc.
The attack caused massive disruption to global commercial shipping, forcing ships to divert around Africa to avoid Middle Eastern waters and forcing insurance companies to raise rates. International Monetary Fund (IMF) documented It said traffic on the Suez Canal, which connects the Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea, had fallen by 50 percent in the first two months of the year, and that “around 15 percent of the world’s maritime trade normally passes through it.”
This photo provided by the Indian Navy on January 27, 2024 shows a view of the oil tanker Merlin Luanda on fire after being attacked in the Gulf of Aden. The crew of a Marshall Islands-flagged tanker attacked by a missile fired by Yemen’s Houthi rebels are battling a fire aboard the ship caused by the attack. (Indian Navy, via AP)
In addition to Sanaa, Houthi supporters rallied in Saada, Raima and Marib on Friday, according to reports. Al Mayadeen, a media affiliated with the Shiite terrorist organization Hezbollah.Iranian state outlet press tvThe newspaper, which also reported on the incident, described the theme of the rally as “Victory for Gaza…Our strike is escalating,” an apparent reference to the Red Sea terrorist activities. Gaza is currently a conflict zone controlled by Hamas and used by the terrorist group to organize and carry out attacks on Israel. Israel launched a self-defense military operation in the aftermath of October 7th, which continues as of this writing, infuriating anti-Israel governments, activists, and terrorist organizations.
Press TV issued a statement purportedly on behalf of the rally participants, citing Ramadan as a reason for the increased frequency of jihadist terrorist acts.
“Before Ramadan is a month of worship, it is a month of jihad,” the statement reportedly read. “We continue to mobilize and remain vigilant.”
“As the holy month of Ramadan approaches, we call for a total boycott of American and Israeli products and the companies that support them,” the statement reportedly continued. PressTV does not believe this statement was made by any person or entity, including Ansar Allah.
Iran’s state-run Islamic Republic News Agency published images of the rally in Saada on Friday.
Yemenis held a large rally in Sa’ada province on Friday, similar to last week, with the slogan “We step up our attacks to help.” #Gaza”. pic.twitter.com/z96s9fI1AZ
— IRNA News Agency (@IrnaEnglish) March 8, 2024
PressTV and Turkish state media anadolu agency Both men said the number of participants in the rally was in the “several thousand” but declined to give specific numbers. Mr. Anadolu acknowledged that Yemenis did not spontaneously organize in support of Hamas, but that the Houthis organized rallies in areas they controlled.Al Mayadeen report The Houthis say they have organized similar rallies on Fridays for the past 22 weeks.
“The rally was called “Support Gaza and step up attacks” in reference to the Houthis’ escalating attacks on Israeli-affiliated ships and US and British military vessels in the Red Sea,” Anadolu said. specified.
Al-Mayadeen reported that protesters were shouting slogans such as “no retreat, no shame” and “our strike is escalating.”
Ansar Allah leader Abdul Malik al-Houthi has indeed hinted at an increase in the number of terrorist attacks in the near future.
Houthi leader Abdul Malik al-Houthi declared on February 29, “Our military operations will continue and advance, and there will be surprises that our enemies will never expect.” He boasted that the airstrikes “have not had any impact on our military capabilities.” ”
“Americans now acknowledge that they have failed in their aggressive goals against our country, and are amazed at our nation’s strength.”
WATCH — Pentagon: Despite damaging ‘some’ of Houthi capabilities, ‘some’ of Houthi attacks are being defeated:
US President Joe Biden told reporters in January that the airstrikes were ineffective, but that he may continue to authorize them anyway. Asked whether the airstrikes had any impact on security in the wider Red Sea region, Biden said: “Well, when you say ‘it’s working,’ do you mean deterring the Houthis?” said. No. Do you want to continue? Yes. “
On Thursday night, during his annual State of the Union address, Biden claimed that he “ordered the attack to degrade the Houthis’ capabilities and protect U.S. forces in the region,” which is a half-truth: He ordered the attack, but both he and the Houthis agree that they did nothing to “diminish the Houthis’ capabilities.”
The State of the Union address and Houthi rally capped a week that began in response to Saturday’s news. Sink of Rubimar, a British-owned ship carrying 21,000 tonnes of fertilizer, was bombed by the Houthis in February.of Rubimarcargo could cause an environmental disaster, US Central Command (CENTCOM) warned.
“The approximately 21,000 tonnes of ammonium phosphate sulfate fertilizer the ship was carrying poses an environmental risk to the Red Sea,” CENTCOM said in a statement this weekend. “If a ship sinks, it also risks impacting other ships traveling in the waterway’s busy routes below the surface.”
of Rubimar It is also said that damaged The Biden administration assessed on Wednesday that there are three communications cables at the bottom of the Red Sea.
“These cables were severed primarily by the anchor that was dragged when the Rubimar sank,” White House National Security and Communications Advisor John Kirby told CBS News.
Houthis attacked MV on Thursday true confidenceAt least three crew members were killed and four more injured on the Liberian-owned ship. These three people were the first killings attributed to the Houthis’ Red Sea terrorist campaign, which began in earnest in December.
