Yemen’s Houthi leader says group ready for escalation

The leader of Yemen’s Houthi group said Thursday that it is ready for escalation and remains in “full coordination” with its regional allies.

In a televised speech broadcast by the group’s Al-Masirah TV channel, Abdul-Malik al-Houthi said the Houthis were prepared for “any round of escalation or any developments within the current situation.”

He stressed that the group remains in “full coordination” with its allies in the ‘Axis of Resistance’ regarding developments in Lebanon and Palestine, as well as what he described as “unjust and aggressive” US measures in the region.

Al-Houthi also warned regional parties against attempts by Washington to drag them into fighting “in service of Israel.”

The Houthi leader said the region was passing through a “critical stage” and called for a high level of awareness and responsibility.

He accused Israel of committing “clear crimes” in Palestine and Lebanon and pursuing broader aggressive goals across the region.

Separately, the Foreign Ministry in the Houthis’ unrecognized government expressed support for Lebanon’s Hezbollah group regarding what it described as the appropriate response to the agreement signed between “the authority in Beirut and the Israeli enemy entity.”

In a statement carried by the group’s Saba News Agency, the ministry said “resistance” remained the most effective option to halt Israeli attacks and end the occupation of Lebanese territory.

Regional tensions have escalated since late February after the US and Israel launched airstrikes on Iran, killing more than 3,000 people.

Tehran, in retaliation, has targeted Israel and Gulf countries that host US bases and closed the Strait of Hormuz, a key waterway for global shipping.

A Pakistan-brokered ceasefire took effect on April 8, and efforts to reach a broader agreement have continued since then.