Leader of Yemen's Houthis: We Support Lebanon and Hezbollah Against Israel

As border clashes between Hezbollah and Israel have intensified, Abdul-Malik al-Houthi, the leader of Yemen's Houthis, announced in a televised speech on Thursday that the Houthi forces "will not hesitate to support Lebanon and Hezbollah." Al-Houthi condemned Israel's airstrikes on Lebanon, stating that these attacks aim to prevent Hezbollah from supporting Gaza and the Palestinian people. He added that the group, which is backed by the Islamic Republic, will respond to any aggression against Lebanon. The Houthi leader also referenced the 2006 war between Hezbollah and Israel, warning that "any ground operation in Lebanon will inflict heavy losses on the enemy and result in a major defeat for Israel." He emphasized that Hezbollah's missiles have the capability to strike all points in Israel and that Hezbollah is "stronger than ever." Al-Houthi stated that the Houthis are fighting against Israel as part of the "resistance axis," which includes Hamas, Hezbollah, and several Shiite groups in Iraq. A group of United Nations experts reported in a confidential document that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and the Quds Force have assisted the Houthi militants in Yemen, transforming this local armed group into a powerful military organization. The independent experts, responsible for providing an annual report to the UN Security Council, stated that Houthi militia forces have received tactical and technical training from IRGC members, Hezbollah, and Iraqi specialists by using fake passports and traveling to Iran, Lebanon, and Iraq. The Shiite Houthis of Yemen have targeted vessels in the Red Sea with missile and drone attacks in support of Palestinians in Gaza during the past year, disrupting international maritime trade. The authors of the confidential report to the UN Security Council concluded that the Houthi rebels would not be capable of developing and producing complex weapon systems without foreign support. The report described the scope and nature of military logistics and various technologies from foreign sources, including financial support and training for the Houthi militants backed by the Islamic Republic of Yemen, as "unprecedented." Another section of the report stated that the weapon systems used by the Houthis in Yemen are similar to those employed by the Islamic Republic of Iran or the armed groups supported by it in the "resistance axis." Iranian officials refer to their allied groups in the region, including the Houthis, Hamas militants, Hezbollah, and various armed groups in Iraq and Syria, as the "resistance axis." The independent UN experts concluded that the armed group of Yemen's Houthis has become a powerful organization with the help of logistics, assistance, and training provided by experts and technicians from the IRGC, the Quds Force, Hezbollah, and Iranian-backed militia groups in Iraq. The Houthis have been under United Nations sanctions since 2015. UN experts: Houthis have become "powerful" with the help of the IRGC and Hezbollah. US Special Representative: The Iranian government's rhetoric is always at odds with its actions. The likelihood of an increase in the number of casualties from the coal mine explosion; labor organizations: the government is responsible for these incidents. Hezbollah's attack with 40 rockets on the Golan Heights, and the Houthis' ballistic missile attack on central Israel, resulted in no casualties. Operations to tow and rescue the damaged Greek tanker in the Red Sea have begun. Greece intends to remove the damaged tanker Sounion from the Red Sea; two tugboats have been dispatched to the area. An Associated Press review: The accuracy of the Islamic Republic's missile fleet in a potential attack on Israel is "in question." CENTCOM confirmed the Houthis' attacks on two other tankers in the Red Sea.