Houthi foreign minister Jamal Amer warns Gulf states to remain neutral as tensions rise; despite US airstrikes across Yemen, Amer vows continued attacks on Israeli-linked ships and insists Iran not dictating Houthi actions
Related Topics
United States
Donald Trump
Houthis
Iran
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
Three days after the start of the U.S. military’s bombing campaign in Yemen, the foreign minister of the Houthi government Jamal Amer said on Tuesday that his organization is effectively at war with the United States and that escalation is a likely scenario.
In an interview with Reuters, Amer warned Gulf states, such as Saudi Arabia and the UAE, to avoid interfering in the conflict and expressed appreciation that they have so far remained neutral.
2ארה"ב מטוס קרב ממריא מ נושאת מטוסים ב הים האדום מבצע תקיפות ב תימן נגד ה חות'יםארה"ב מטוס קרב ממריא מ נושאת מטוסים ב הים האדום מבצע תקיפות ב תימן נגד ה חות'ים
US launching strikes on Houthis (Photo:DVIDS / AFP)
Two senior Iranian officials told Reuters that Tehran, the Houthis' main ally, had twice in recent days sent messages to the Yemeni rebel group urging them to de-escalate tensions. This came after the Houthis declared that they were resuming attacks on Israeli-linked ships in the Red Sea as retaliation for blocking aid to Gaza.
The officials said that one message was delivered to the Houthis’ envoy in Tehran on Friday, while a similar message was conveyed on Sunday by Iran’s foreign minister during a visit to Oman, which Iran considers a mediator with the Houthis.
Officially, Iran has not publicly acknowledged sending such messages, likely to avoid contradicting its longstanding claim that the Houthis make their decisions independently and do not act under Iran’s directives.
In the interview, conducted late Monday night and published on Tuesday, Amer said that his organization would not "dial down" its operations against Israeli-linked ships in the Red Sea, neither in response to pressure from Washington nor requests from its allies in Iran. He also claimed not to be aware of any message delivered via the Houthi envoy in Tehran.
"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 said.
Amer confirmed receiving messages from other parties requesting the Houthis to de-escalate tensions. However, he added, "Now we see that Yemen is at war with the U.S. and that means that we have a right to defend ourselves with all possible means, so escalation is likely."
He accused the U.S. of escalating the situation, claiming that the Houthis had targeted only Israeli-linked ships in the Red Sea, not international vessels, and that the U.S. chose to respond regardless.
<< Get the Ynetnews app on your smartphone: Google Play: https://bit.ly/4eJ37pE | Apple App Store: https://bit.ly/3ZL7iNv >>
Amer also highlighted that Saudi Arabia, which supports the Houthis' rivals in Yemen and previously conducted years of bombing campaigns against the group, has so far refrained from military intervention in the current conflict, as have other Gulf states.
He expressed appreciation for their neutrality but issued a warning: If Gulf states intervene militarily, they risk becoming targets themselves. "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," Amer said.
Amer’s remarks came after U.S. President Donald Trump issued a stark warning to Iran, accusing it of continuing to fund, arm and provide intelligence to the Houthi despite Tehran’s denials.
2תימן חות'ים זירת הפצצה אמריקנית ב מחוז סעדהתימן חות'ים זירת הפצצה אמריקנית ב מחוז סעדהPhoto: AFP
Result of US bombing on Yemen
"Every shot fired by the Houthis will be looked upon, from this point forward, as being a shot fired from the weapons and leadership of IRAN," Trump declared in a Truth Social post, vowing that Iran would face "dire consequences" for any further aggression.
Shortly after his remarks, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt reinforced the administration’s stance, saying, "There’s a new sheriff in town," and cautioning Iran to take Trump’s warning seriously.
Houthi attacks on international shipping since October 2023 have caused significant damage to global maritime trade, forcing ships that would normally travel through the Suez Canal to use safer alternate routes and dramatically increasing insurance costs.
When the U.S. bombing campaign began on Saturday, Trump promised the Houthis that “hell” awaited them and declared, “Your time is up.” According to U.S. sources, several senior commanders of the Yemeni group have been killed since the operation began.
While Washington initially said that the attacks might continue for weeks, the Pentagon struck a more cautious tone on Monday night. The U.S. Department of Defense clarified that it is not attempting to overthrow the Houthi regime and that the bombing campaign would cease once the Houthis declare they will halt their attacks.