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Because the outbreak of the conflict on Gaza and subsequent tensions within the Crimson Sea, the Gulf of Aden, and the Arabian Sea, MintPress Information has sought dialogue with an important decision-makers in Ansar Allah, who’re main the cost in Yemen’s resistance towards Israeli pursuits there in a bid to power Israel to simply accept a ceasefire and permit assist to enter the besieged Strip.
We intention to ask deep and elementary questions which can be of curiosity to Western readers and folks around the globe, notably in america, the place the media usually fails to supply another, not to mention opposing, perspective.
MintPress Information not solely seeks to convey occasions from the bottom in Yemen, however to interrupt the unilateral narrative that has largely prevailed all through the world concerning the explosive occasions in Bab al-Mandab, arguably an important worldwide strait and transport hall. It’s on this context that MintPress Information has reopened on-the-ground reporting in Yemen, bringing readers unique tales and interviews with distinguished officers behind latest occasions just like the sinking of a British cargo ship, American airstrikes on the Yemeni mainland, lethal assaults towards industrial and army vessels belonging to the U.S., Britain, and Israel, allegations of sabotage of web cables within the Crimson and Arabian Seas, the European army mission “Aspides,” and different thorny points, together with the Iranian agenda within the Crimson Sea, peace within the war-torn nation, and an anticipated invasion of Yemen.
For that, MintPress Information correspondent Ahmed Abdulkareem interviewed distinguished member of the Ansar Allah motion, Dr. Hizam Al-Assad, who’s an lively member and performs a job in developments within the Crimson Sea and supporting the individuals of Gaza. A video displaying Dr. Al-Assad alongside and his crew performing the standard Yemeni Buraa dance on the deck of the Israeli-linked ship, the Galaxy, after its seizure by Ansar Allah within the Crimson Sea on November 19, 2023, went viral final fall on Arab information and social media platforms, garnering hundreds of thousands of views. The seizure of the Galaxy was Ansar Allah’s first operation because the onset of Israel’s conflict on Gaza.
MintPress Information: Since October 27, when Israel started the conflict on Gaza, Ansar Allah introduced it will goal Israel with missiles and drones and stop Israeli ships from crossing the Crimson Sea along with concentrating on U.S. and UK ships. Does Ansar Allah intend to proceed this marketing campaign?
Dr. Hizam Al-Assad: Our angle on the US-backed Israeli aggression and siege on our individuals in Gaza is a non secular, humanitarian and ethical angle, particularly when Zionists went too far of their crimes towards the Palestinian individuals in Gaza – genocidal crimes which have been dedicated towards tens of hundreds of kids, ladies and civilians in a geographical space that’s besieged from all sides.
Due to that, the Yemeni individuals, represented by their management and armed forces, moved to assist the oppressed individuals in Gaza by putting “Israeli” [territory] and concentrating on ships linked to Israel, or heading to its ports, till the aggression stops and the siege on the individuals in Gaza is lifted. And due to the American-British aggression towards our nation, our military needed to reply by concentrating on Washington and London’s ships and army belongings within the Crimson and Arabian Seas.
We verify that so long as the aggression and siege on our brothers in Gaza continues, ships linked to the Israeli enemy entity will proceed to be focused, in addition to concentrating on Israeli [territory], along with persevering with to confront and reply to the British-American aggression over our nation. Our response is a professional proper assured by all worldwide and humanitarian programs and legal guidelines.
MintPress Information: For the third month in a row, america and Britain proceed to bomb Hodeidah Governorate and different Yemeni governorates, together with the capital, Sana’a. Have these strikes undermined Ansar Allah’s capabilities, as is the acknowledged aim of the assaults on Yemen?
Dr. Hizam Al-Assad: As for the American and British strikes on our nation, they’re thought of an unjustified and blatant assault on the sovereignty of the Republic of Yemen, particularly because the operations of our naval forces supporting the individuals of Gaza don’t goal worldwide navigation however are restricted to stopping or concentrating on ships linked to the Israeli enemy entity to stress it to cease its aggression and crimes and to carry the siege on the residents of the Gaza Strip.
Nonetheless, the American and British strikes on our nation didn’t considerably undermine our military’s army capabilities. Quite, we elevated the tempo of confrontation and escalation in concentrating on U.S. and British ships, and we could transcend that to focus on U.S. pursuits within the area, which is a professional and assured proper.
MintPress Information: What’s Ansar Allah’s place on potential escalatory steps that Israel could soak up Gaza, particularly an invasion of Rafah, in addition to the potential for an enlargement of U.S. and British assaults within the Crimson Sea or perhaps a U.S.-led floor invasion of Yemen?
Dr. Hizam Al-Assad: Israel continues to hold out its crimes towards the Palestinian individuals in Gaza with direct American assist and participation. The physique elements and blood of Gaza’s kids have turn out to be a shame to America, particularly because it not solely continues to supply army assist to the Israeli occupation entity as a way to kill extra ladies and kids but in addition to make use of its veto energy within the UN Safety Council to thwart any draft decision aimed to cease the conflict.
Any new Israeli method to escalation in Rafah could expose a couple of million, 300 thousand individuals to sure loss of life and can put worldwide and humanitarian organizations and human rights legal guidelines to the take a look at, particularly since Washington, which at all times pays lip service to humanity and the safety of rights, continues to be insisting on persevering with to assist the Israeli military because it continues committing extra crimes towards a defenseless individuals, and American airlifts continues to provide the Israeli military with bombs, missiles, and lethal shells that kill tons of of kids, ladies, and civilians daily. It additionally destroys houses, hospitals, locations of displacement, and civilian amenities.
All of this makes it vital for us to proceed supporting and escalating army operations. We have now, because of God, choices and main, highly effective surprises that might be painful for Israel, America and the British.
We’re waging an honorable battle to assist the susceptible and oppressed within the face of satanic and evil forces that unfold devastation, destruction and blood. In addition they bomb, kill and commit genocide towards tens of hundreds of kids, ladies and civilians in a slim and besieged geographical space.
Relating to escalation by america, our response could also be earth-shattering and extreme. America’s interests might be harmed, and its troopers might be killed. Their our bodies could not return dwelling as a result of they’re aggressors towards our nation and taking part within the killing and siege of our brothers in Gaza.
If the American forces determine to enter right into a floor conflict, that is what our Yemeni individuals, armed with religion, iron, and hearth, aspire to and need. The Yemeni citizen longs for the day once they can confront the American invaders and occupiers head to head.
As for our naval forces, they contribute to securing worldwide navigation and have by no means been a supply of hazard or concern to maritime transport strains. Nonetheless, Washington is making an attempt to make use of these flimsy excuses to justify its assaults to those that nonetheless imagine it, because it claims that it secures worldwide navigation. In actuality, it participates with Israel within the killing and siege towards our brothers within the Gaza Strip. They’re making an attempt to guard Israeli ships within the Crimson and Arab Seas and ignoring the pursuits of taxpayers. They’re additionally finishing up aggression towards Yemen.
MintPress Information: Over the previous few days, the roads closed between areas managed by the Nationwide Salvation Authorities and people managed by the Saudi coalition’s allies have been reopened. Are you able to inform MintPress extra about this? What’s the state of reconciliation efforts between opposing events in Yemen?
Dr. Hizam Al-Assad: The trail of Yemeni negotiations with the Saudi-led Coalition, particularly Saudi Arabia, is ongoing and continued. There’s a roadmap undertaking which may be finalized and signed quickly, regardless of persevering with American stress geared toward disrupting this path due to our positions rejecting the continuation of Israeli-American crimes towards the residents of Gaza.
Relating to the reopening of roads in both some army contact areas or in some axes of the fronts, there was a breakthrough in some areas after the Sanaa authorities’s [Ansar Allah] initiative to open them with native mediation and ensures and much from American stress making an attempt to hinder peace in Yemen.
MintPress Information: Ansar Allah introduced the downing of a U.S. warplane and the sinking of a British ship, along with the concentrating on of U.S. and British warships. Do you contemplate this an escalation by Ansar Allah as a result of conflict on Gaza, or is it associated to Washington’s latest determination to categorise Ansar Allah as a terrorist group?
Dr. Hizam Al-Assad: The Yemeni armed forces will proceed to focus on ships linked to Israel till the aggression is stopped and the siege on our individuals in Gaza is lifted. Relating to the strike on US.. ships and army belongings within the Crimson and Arabian Seas, [we have] an escalatory and strategic plan to focus on them and cleanse our territorial waters of them as a response to their aggression towards Yemen.
Our aim is to convey safety and peace to the area. The American forces that traveled a distance of greater than ten thousand miles to succeed in our seas got here to militarize the Crimson Sea and to unfold issues, wars and aggression towards our nation and take part within the killing of Palestinian individuals.
The American individuals should know that their forces should not in a defensive place however are in an aggressive place. Worldwide navigation within the Crimson Sea is secure and continuing usually and naturally. The proof of that is the continuation of [maritime] visitors to all locations besides these heading to the Israeli enemy entity or the American and British ships, as they’re nonetheless finishing up aggression towards our nation.
Relating to the Biden administration’s classification of us as terrorists, it’s a political classification whose goal is to blackmail us into abandoning our assist of the Palestinian individuals in Gaza. We aren’t involved about America’s classifications as a result of it’s an enemy that has already been defeated and won’t hesitate to make accusations towards its opponent.
In actual fact, america, given its legal file, is taken into account the pinnacle of evil, terrorism, and criminality in the entire world, and all through its bloody historical past, it’s the mom of terrorism and its supply. It’s the one who practices oppression and terrorism towards the peoples of the world below the identical titles and justifications.
As for individuals who assist simply humanitarian and ethical points and assist the oppressed Palestinian individuals in Gaza, they’re those that struggle terrorism and confront the forces of conceitedness and international criminality.
MintPress Information: On February 19, a European army mission led by Greece referred to as Aspides was launched. The mission’s acknowledged intention is to make use of battleships and frigates to guard navigation within the Crimson Sea and the Gulf of Aden. What’s Ansar Allah’s place on Aspides?
Dr. Hizam Al-Assad: In line with European officers who spoke to us, their mission is defensive, to accompany some European ships. It has nothing to do with American and British hostilities and won’t signify a risk to the Republic of Yemen.
Up to now, we’re nonetheless taking them for his or her phrase. If any nation sides with the U.S. and Britain within the aggression towards Yemen, the destiny of its ships, navigational pursuits, and others would be the identical destiny that Washington’s and London’s ships are going through proper now within the Crimson and Arabian Seas.
There isn’t a risk posed by Asnar Allah to worldwide navigation within the Crimson and Arabian Seas. Our naval forces have contributed tremendously and for years to securing worldwide navigation, whereas the approaching hazard to the safety and security of worldwide navigation lies within the American-British escalation: the try to militarize the Crimson Sea and the launching of missiles towards Yemen’s territory from the proximity of economic ships, in addition to threatening and forcing main transport firms to not cross by way of Bab al-Mandab, and obliging ships crusing throughout the Gulf of Aden and the Crimson Sea to show off their identification gadgets.
All of those evil measures, which I discussed, are an try to create confusion across the safety of worldwide navigation and an try to painting the operations of our naval forces towards Israeli ships as posing a risk to the safety of navigation for the aim of inciting world opinion towards us. The Biden administration is deceiving its individuals who pay taxes because it spends their cash to hurt them and trigger injury to their pursuits, to not service them or defend their pursuits, such because the well-being of economic ships.
MintPress Information: What’s your response to claims Ansar Allah threatens worldwide navigation within the Crimson Sea, that it poses a hazard to underwater web cables and that it exposes the Crimson Sea and Gulf of Aden to environmental hazard by concentrating on oil tankers such because the latest sinking of the MV Rubymar?
Dr. Hizam Al-Assad: Relating to the sinking of the British Rubymar, we’re dedicated to our individuals and our nation, and we are going to proceed to focus on and sink all American and British ships inside the fitting of response to their aggression towards our nation. It’s the least we will do within the face of the brutality, crime, and conceitedness practiced by Washington and London in direction of our nation and our nation. I can verify to MintPress Information that there are main, highly effective, and surprising surprises for our enemy if the assaults towards our nation proceed.
Relating to optical web strains and cables within the Crimson and Arabian Seas, over the previous month, Washington has sought to sabotage them after elevating the difficulty within the media. This was a preemptive transfer supposed responsible our naval forces.
We affirm our dedication to contribute to defending and securing worldwide transport strains and web cables within the Crimson and Arabian Seas. Moreover, we are going to defend it from the hazard posed by the aggressing American and British forces. For us, this can be a spiritual, ethical and humanitarian obligation and is in keeping with worldwide legal guidelines and treaties, as our nation is without doubt one of the most necessary riparian international locations and has the fitting to take action. The US, which got here to the area for one aim solely, to guard Israel, won’t hesitate to hurt the pursuits of the world in favor of Israel.
MintPress Information: Ansar Allah is accused of implementing Tehran’s agenda within the Crimson Sea. First, is the characterization true? Second, what’s the relationship between Ansar Allah and Iran?
Dr. Hizam Al-Assad: Our positions and selections are fully unbiased. Our relationship with Iran is a brotherly and equal relationship. We agree and meet with Tehran and all of the free individuals of the area and the world on humanitarian stances that assist the fitting of the Palestinian individuals to stay and stay on their land and to defend their threatened existence.
Characteristic photograph | Dr. Hizam Al-Assad
Ahmed AbdulKareem is a Yemeni journalist based mostly in Sana’a. He covers the conflict in Yemen for MintPress Information in addition to native Yemeni media.
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