The Yemeni Houthis are ready for direct military intervention on the side of Iran in the conflict in the Middle East if any of their demands are violated, said Yahya Sariyah, the official spokesman for the rebel armed forces.
According to the statement, the Houthis are ready to enter the war if other alliances join the US and Israel against Iran and the “Axis of Resistance“, as well as the use of the Red Sea for hostile operations by the US and Israel against Iran and any other Muslim country.
They will also intervene in the event of a continued escalation of military actions against Iran.
The Houthis demand an immediate cessation of aggression against Muslim countries – Palestine, Lebanon, Iran and Iraq - and lifting the "unjust blockade" on Yemen.
The Wall Street Journal reported that Saudi Arabia and the United States are trying to prevent their involvement in the Middle East war. Saudi officials are seeking to maintain diplomatic relations with the Houthis to keep them out of the conflict, a U.S. official said. The United States and Israel are also trying to avoid provocations that could draw the Houthis in, he added.
"If the Houthis get involved in the conflict, it would really raise the stakes," said New America expert Adam Baron. “This will bring the Suez Canal, the Egyptians and Saudi Arabia even closer to the conflict.“
Previously, senior Yemeni military commander Abed al-Tawr did not rule out the possibility that Yemen would close the Bab el-Mandeb Strait to the US and Israel as soon as a decision is made to intervene in Iran's Middle East war. Iran's Tasnim news agency, citing a military source in the country, reported that Iran would close the Bab el-Mandeb Strait in the event of a land invasion of its territories, including the islands.
The Bab el-Mandeb Strait is located between Yemen and Eritrea, connecting the Gulf of Aden with the Red Sea. Since 1869, it has served as the southern gateway to the Suez Canal, through which 10-12% of world maritime trade and approximately 30% of world container traffic pass (approximately 20,000 ships pass through the canal and strait annually).