Yemeni officials say the armed forces will continue to defend Gaza despite threats from the US or 'requests' from Iran
News Desk - The Cradle
The Israeli military said it had intercepted a ballistic missile launched from Yemen before it crossed into Israeli territory.
Sirens blared in Beersheba, Merhav Am, Nevatim, and Revivim, among other locations.
On Monday, the foreign minister of Yemen's National Salvation Government said in an interview with Reuters that the YAF will not “dial down” their military operations targeting Israeli shipping in the Red Sea in response to threats from the US military or pressure from its ally, Iran.
The comments from Foreign Minister Jamal Amer came after US and UK warplanes killed 31 people in air strikes against Yemen on Saturday. The YAF responded by attacking the USS Eisenhower on Monday.
The YAF began attacks against Israeli ships in the Red Sea in November 2023 in response to Israel's genocide of Palestinians in Gaza. Israel has blocked aid from entering Gaza for the past two weeks and resumed bombing the strip early Tuesday, killing over 400 Palestinians.
“There will be no talk of any dialing down of operations before ending the aid blockade in Gaza. Iran is not interfering in our decision, but what is happening is that it mediates sometimes, but it cannot dictate things,” Amer stated.
He said he had not been informed of any message delivered by Iran to the National Salvation Government envoy in Tehran.
“Now we see that Yemen is at war with the US, and that means that we have a right to defend ourselves with all possible means, so escalation is likely,” Amer added.
Iran has not made any public comment about recent YAF military actions taken in self-defense and defense of Gaza.
Tehran says Yemen makes decisions independently.
“(The US) is threatening Iran and hitting Yemen. Now, all scenarios are possible. We will do what they will do to us. If they are hitting us from (US aircraft carrier USS Harry S.) Truman, we will retaliate by hitting Truman,” the Yemeni foreign minister said.
Yemeni forces said on 12 March that they had resumed attacks on Israeli ships using routes that pass through the Red Sea because Israel had not met a deadline for ending the aid blockade on Gaza.
Amer said some EU countries had advised his government not to escalate, but he reassured them that the target was Israeli shipping.
He also warned the Arab states not to intervene militarily against Yemen on behalf of the US and Israel.
“If any aircraft or base is used against us, then we will escalate, and we will defend ourselves, but if they (Gulf states) continue to be neutral, we will stay away,” he said.
Gulf states Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Jordan, and the UAE all host US military facilities.
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