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Yemen's Ansarullah "popular resistance movement", Houthi movement, is reportedly ready to enter the battlefield in support of Iran amid the ongoing West Asia conflict against the ongoing US-Israel strikes on Iran, according to a news report of Tasnim News agency.
Citing an informed source, the agency reported that the movement has been on high alert since the start of the conflict. "As they have stated since the first day" of the aggression on February 28, Ansarullah "is on full alert and ready to enter the battlefield," the source was quoted as saying. According to Tasnim, the group could play a role by exerting control over the strategic Bab al-Mandeb Strait as a form of pressure against the parties (US and Israel) involved in the conflict. According to the source quoted by Tasnim, it added that controlling the strait becomes necessary to further "discipline" the enemy, not only does Iran have the capability to generate a "credible threat" in the waterway, but the "heroic forces" of Ansarullah also are "fully prepared to play a skilful role." According to the source of the Tasnim news report, Ansarullah has shown in the past that closing the Bab al-Mandeb Strait and asserting the will of the resistance in the Red Sea is an achievable task. According to Tasnim News Agency, the group has earlier deployed its military capabilities to pressure hostile parties in the region. Following the October 7, 2023, escalation and Israel's military campaign in the Gaza Strip, Ansarullah launched measures, including a naval blockade targeting Israeli-linked shipping either heading toward or departing from the occupied territories. The blockade reportedly imposed high costs on Israel's economy, forcing ships to reroute around southern Africa to reach their destinations. Besides the naval blockade, the group has also carried out aerial operations targeting Israeli sites and launched repeated attacks against US naval vessels operating near Yemen's coastline, Tasnim added. Earlier, Iran's Foreign Minister Araghchi said the country will continue to follow the policy of "resistance" in response to "unprovoked American-Israeli aggression", ruling out negotiations or a ceasefire without reliable guarantees, according to Iranian State Media Press TV. Speaking in a televised interview on Wednesday, Araghchi said, "At present, our policy is to continue resistance, and no negotiations have taken place." "There are no negotiations underway," he was quoted by Press TV as saying, while also questioning the reliability of external assurances.(ANI)
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