CAIRO (Portal) – Any hostile move against Yemen will have dire consequences and high costs, Ali al-Qahoum, a member of the Houthi group's Ansarullah politburo, told Al Mayadeen TV late on Friday.
“The Houthis will not abandon the Palestinian cause, regardless of any threats from the US, Israel or the West,” he said, adding that operations against Israel will continue.
Yemen is ready with all defense options to respond to hostile moves by the United States, Israel or the West, he said.
“Yemen is interested in protecting international maritime shipping in accordance with international laws and norms,” al-Qahoum said.
Earlier in the day, the U.S. military said attacks from Houthi-controlled Yemen hit two Liberian-flagged ships in the Bab al-Mandab Strait, underscoring the threat to ships in shipping lanes controlled by the Iran-allied group are attacked.
As part of the Iran-aligned “Axis of Resistance,” the Houthis have attacked ships in the Red Sea shipping lanes and fired drones and missiles at Israel.
The Houthis, who control much of Yemen, have said they will continue their attacks until Israel stops its offensive in Gaza.
(Reporting by Moaz Abd-Alaziz in Cairo; Editing by Tom Hogue)