Abdul-Malik al-Houthi, leader of Yemen’s Ansar Allah movement, warned on Thursday against what he described as Israeli efforts to establish a presence in Somaliland, saying the group would respond to any such move.
Speaking in a televised address, al-Houthi said Israel was seeking to expand its influence in the Gulf of Aden and the Bab al-Mandab Strait in an effort to strengthen its control over strategic shipping routes in the Red Sea.
He warned that Ansar Allah would not remain passive in the face of any Israeli presence in the region and affirmed the group’s readiness to confront it.
Al-Houthi also called on countries bordering the Red Sea to adopt a unified position to safeguard regional security, sovereignty and strategic waterways.
Turning to regional developments, the Houthi leader congratulated Iran on what he described as its “victory” over Israel and the United States, saying the outcome served the interests of the so-called “axis of resistance.”
He reaffirmed the group’s support for the Palestinian cause and said coordination with members of the “axis of resistance” was continuing in response to what he described as Israeli escalation, particularly in the Gaza Strip.
Addressing the situation in Yemen, al-Houthi reiterated his group’s opposition to the continuing blockade and foreign intervention in the country.
He said Ansar Allah remained committed to what he described as the Yemeni people’s right to sovereignty and the recovery of national resources.
Concluding his address, al-Houthi urged his supporters to maintain unity, remain mobilised and prepare for what he described as the challenges facing Yemen and the wider region.
