Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi condemned the US airstrikes on Yemen, claiming that such actions reflect America’s “true, aggressive, and anti-human rights nature.”
Raisi made the statement on Sunday during a phone conversation with Mahdi al-Mashat, the head of Yemen’s Supreme Political Council (SPC), whose country has been targeted by US-led airstrikes since Friday.
The US initiated attacks on Yemen after it targeted Israeli-affiliated ships in the Red Sea in response to Israel killing thousands of Palestinians in Gaza.
Raisi’s Remarks
Raisi, commenting on US attacks, said, “Undoubtedly, such actions against the people who have resisted the aggression of outsiders for years, and today, still play an effective role in defending the oppressed people of Palestine will be condemned by the freedom-loving nations of the world.”
Furthermore, Raisi praised Yemen’s courage in supporting the oppressed people of Palestine and underlined the policy of ensuring the security of international shipping routes for various countries.
In the statement, he referred to Israel as a “genocidal regime” for committing crimes against “tens of thousands of oppressed Palestinian civilians, women, and children, which have been condemned by nations all over the world.”
Raisi declared that Iran’s fundamental position is to support the oppressed Palestinian nation and said that the “oppression of the Zionists will also end with the final victory of the Palestinian nation.”
Likewise, SPC President al-Mashat said, “We are steadfast in our positions to confront the oppressive Zionist regime and support the oppressed people of Gaza, and we hope that the Islamic Ummah will use its capacities to shed light on the current developments and the anti-human crimes of the Zionists and their supporters.”
The SPC is a largely unrecognised executive body established by the Houthi movement and the General People’s Congress (GPC) to govern Yemen. The presidential council consists of nine members and functions as Yemen’s head of state, managing the country’s affairs.
Raisi hails Yemeni bravery in defending people of Gaza
— Al Mayadeen English (@MayadeenEnglish) January 14, 2024
In a phone call with Mahdi al-Mashat, Raisi said the #US aggression on #Yemen revealed its true aggressive nature. https://t.co/1amUuQONzO
Houthi Attacks in Red Sea
In December, the US military claimed to have shot down one drone and one anti-ship ballistic missile in the southern Red Sea, launched by Houthi rebels in Yemen, allegedly supported by Iran. According to reports, this is the 22nd attack on international shipping since 19 October.
Earlier in October, Pentagon Press Secretary Pat Ryder stated that the crew of the guided-missile destroyer USS Carney, which is currently patrolling the northern Red Sea, downed three cruise missiles and six drones launched by Houthi forces.
In response to attacks in the Red Sea, US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin launched Operation Prosperity Guardian, a multinational initiative to combat Houthi attacks on commercial ships in the region.
‘Operation Prosperity Guardian’
The US Defence Secretary said in a statement that the Red Sea is a crucial waterway for freedom of navigation and a key commercial corridor for international trade. “This is an international challenge that demands collective action. Therefore, I am announcing the establishment of Operation Prosperity Guardian, an important new multinational security initiative,” Austin announced.
The mission will be led by Combined Task Force 153, which was formed in April 2022 to strengthen marine security in the Red Sea, Bab Al Mandab, and the Gulf of Aden.
Austin explained that the UK, Bahrain, Canada, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Seychelles, and Spain will join the US in the new operation. Some countries will conduct combined patrols in the southern Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, while others will provide intelligence support.
Retaliatory Attacks by US, UK in Yemen
Last week, the US and UK launched air and naval strikes against Houthi military targets in Yemen in response to the attacks on commercial ships in the Red Sea.
According to a statement issued by the US Department of Defence, “the militaries of the US and UK, with support from Australia, Bahrain, Canada, and the Netherlands, conducted strikes against military targets in Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen.”
“Today’s coalition action sends a clear message to the Houthis that they will bear further costs if they do not end their illegal attacks,” Austin remarked.
The US Air Force’s Mideast Command stated that it attacked about 60 targets at 16 locations in Yemen, including “command-and-control nodes, munitions depots, launching systems, production facilities, and air defence radar systems.”
US President Joe Biden stressed, “these strikes are in direct response to unprecedented Houthi attacks against international maritime vessels in the Red Sea.”
Meanwhile, the UN Security Council (UNSC) recently approved a resolution urging the Houthis to cease their attacks immediately and implicitly condemning their weapons supplier, Iran. It passed by a vote of 11-0, with four abstentions from Russia, China, Algeria, and Mozambique.