Ali al-Qahoum, a member of the political bureau of the Yemeni Ansar Allah, affirmed on Friday that Yemen's significant, impactful, and strategic operations in striking "Israel", supporting Palestine, Gaza, and the great Resistance fighters in Operation Al-Aqsa Flood will persist until victory and the eradication of the Israeli occupation entity.

Al-Qahoum told Al Mayadeen that the military presence of the United States, "Israel", and the West in Bab al-Mandab and the Red Sea threatens international maritime navigation, emphasizing that this presence violates international maritime law and poses a threat to the security and stability of the region and the world.

He underscored that the US-Israeli-Western military presence reinforces a unipolar world and imposes Western dominance over vital and strategic international maritime passages.

He also pointed out that Yemen, as an independent state, has the sovereignty and independence to protect its borders and vital areas and ensure international maritime navigation in accordance with international law.

Al-Qahoum indicated that Yemen is a partner and a stakeholder in protecting international maritime navigation according to international laws and norms, affirming that the Yemeni position is steadfast and will not waver in supporting Palestine, Gaza, and the causes of the nation.

The Ansar Allah official underlined that Yemen will not abandon the Palestinian cause no matter what, despite American, Western, and Israeli threats.

The Yemeni official warned that "those who provide protection to Israel should bear the consequences," stressing that Yemen "will spare no effort or resources in supporting Palestine and Gaza until victory and the eradication of Israel."

Al-Qahoum warned the United States against interfering with the security and stability of the region and the world because there is security and stability are directly linked to the situation in Palestine, "and this is an equation that cannot be avoided," adding that any hostile actions against Yemen will have serious consequences and significant costs.

He assured that Yemen possesses all the factors of strength and resilience that qualify it to be pivotal and influential in international equations, with elements of strength that make it steadfast in supporting Palestine.

Elsewhere, al-Qahoum made it clear that Yemen has all the defensive options to respond to any hostile actions by the US, "Israel", and the West, with surprises that are beyond imagination.

Earlier, the Yemeni Armed Forces (YAF) carried out two operations against two cargo ships heading to Israeli ports in occupied Palestine, the spokesperson for the YAF Brigadier General Yahya Saree announced.

Saree confirmed that the Yemeni Naval Forces targeted the MSC Alanya and the MSC PALATIUM III with anti-ship missiles, dealing direct hits to the two vessels, which refused to heed Yemeni warnings.

The Brigadier General emphasized that all vessels heading to the Israeli occupation's ports will continue to be targeted until "Israel" lifts its blockade on Gaza and allows for the passage of necessities into the Strip, including food and medical supplies.

"The Yemeni Armed Forces will not hesitate to target any ship violating the instructions laid out in previous statements."

 

Brigadier General Yahya Saree

Assuring all other vessels sailing to non-Israeli ports, the spokesperson said the Yemeni Armed Forces' operations will allow them safe passage, as long as the ships' crews successfully identify their final destination.

Axios had cited two US officials as saying that the administration of US President Joe Biden recently sent messages to Sanaa through several channels, warning it to stop "attacks on ships in the Red Sea and against Israel."

It emphasized that since the start of the Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip, the Yemeni Armed Forces "have launched more than 70 drones and ballistic missiles" toward the Israeli occupation entity.

The two US officials were cited as saying that US Special Envoy for Yemen, Tim Lenderking, who visited the Gulf in recent days, asked his counterparts in Saudi Arabia, Oman, and Qatar to "convey warning messages" to Yemen.

According to Axios, US officials acknowledge that these warnings so far have not led the Yemenis to de-escalate their operations.

The report noted that ships heading to the Israeli occupation entity from Asia are now taking a longer route around Africa, making the journey three weeks longer and more costly.

The American news website also cited two Israeli and US officials as saying that "a special upgraded multinational task force will start operating in the Red Sea" to deter the Yemeni forces from launching more attacks and confront them.

The task force will not accompany the ships in the Red Sea, but having more naval ships in the area will make it easier to respond to threats, a senior Israeli official pointed out, as cited by Axios.

On Wednesday, Ansar Allah Political Bureau member Abdul-Malik al-Ajri stressed that there is no way to restore calm in the Red Sea without a ceasefire in Gaza.

"There is no way of preventing the escalation except by moving towards a permanent ceasefire in the Gaza Strip," al-Ajri said in a post on X.

The top Yemeni official made it clear that peace in the Red Sea was "linked to restoring calm in the Gaza Strip," clearly talking about a ceasefire as the Israeli occupation continues to escalate against the Strip's civilian population.

He also stressed that even if all the naval fleets on Earth gathered in the Red Sea, they "would not bring security to Israel or Israeli ships, not to any ships heading to [Israel]."

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