Houthi Leader’s Speech Following U.S. Airstrikes

In the aftermath of a series of U.S. airstrikes and naval bombardments that hit multiple locations in Yemen—including Al Jiraf neighborhood in Sana’a—Abdulmalik Al Houthi, leader of AnsarAllah, delivered a lengthy speech condemning the attacks. Local reports indicate that 47 airstrikes targeted several areas across the governorates of Sana’a, Saada, Al-Bayda, Hajjah, Dhamar, Marib, and Al-Jawf. Al Houthi presented these actions as further evidence of what he describes as “American tyranny” in the region, arguing that this escalation is linked to his group’s stance in support of Palestinians.

Several portions of the speech explicitly describe the steps he claims the Houthi movement has taken—or will take—in response to Israeli and American policies. In these direct quotes, he calls for bans, attacks, or mass rallies:

Banning Israeli Navigation

“…our country, Yemen, took a clear stance in supporting the Palestinian people and made the decision to impose a ban on Israeli navigation.”

Threatening Retaliation and Targeting Military Assets

“We also have escalatory options. Because now, we will respond to escalation with escalation. We will retaliate against American aggression—against their airstrikes and their attacks—with missile strikes, by targeting their aircraft carriers, their warships, and their vessels. They will be included in the blockade decision. And beyond that, we still have additional escalatory options.”

Mass Mobilization

“Our dear people will also mobilize comprehensively—at the level of general mobilization, at all levels, in all fields… Now, in the face of this aggression against our country and the starvation and dehydration imposed on the Palestinian people in Gaza, our dear people will move in a broad and comprehensive manner to confront tyranny.”

Nationwide Demonstration

“Therefore, I call upon our dear people… to take to the streets tomorrow, on the anniversary of the Battle of Badr, in a massive, million-strong demonstration… This demonstration will express, declare, and affirm their steadfastness—their unwavering stance on the path of truth, their faith-based stance, their jihadist stance in supporting the Palestinian people, and in confronting American aggression.”

Refusal to Submit to American and Israeli Demands

“We will never accept the subjugation of this region to the Israeli enemy… We will never accept the establishment of a doctrine that legitimizes violations against our nation—neither in our country nor elsewhere… We will not remain silent in the face of the arrogance, tyranny, aggression, and crimes of the Israeli enemy and the American enemy.”

Context and Condemnation of Airstrikes

According to the Al Houthi, the airstrikes killed and wounded dozens in governorates across Yemen, including women and children. He characterizes the strikes as “brutal and unjust,” alleging that their true purpose is to pressure Yemen due to its declared support of Palestinians, particularly following the Israeli blockade of Gaza.

He argues that the United States and Israel work in tandem, enabling each other’s policies. Al Houthi further accuses Israel of committing a major crime against the people of Gaza by “starving them, preventing humanitarian aid from entering, and imposing a total blockade” on food, water, and other essential goods.

Denunciation of Global Silence

He laments what he describes as insufficient reactions from Arab governments and the broader Islamic world, criticizing “the general stance of most regimes in the Islamic world” for being indifferent. He emphasizes that merely waiting for large-scale bombing or extermination before reacting overlooks the severity of the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Gaza.

Houthi Support for Palestinians

Al Houthi underlines his people’s alignment with the Palestinian cause, framing it as a moral and religious obligation. He cites faith-based imperatives as guiding his group’s choice to support Palestinians despite the risk of American retaliation.

He also claims that this position has garnered an explicit backlash from the United States, framing the American attacks as “punishment against our people for their honorable…support [of Palestinians].”