Abdel-Malek al-Houthi, leader of the Houthi movement, said his organization would attack U.S. warships if the Pentagon’s operation to counter Houthi forces used military force.
“We will not stand idly by if the Americans are tempted to escalate further and commit foolishness by targeting our country or waging war against it,” he said in a televised speech, according to Reuters.
“Any American targeting of our country will be targeted by us, and we will make American battleships, interests, and navigation a target for our missiles, drones, and military operations.”
“As long as the Americans want to enter into a direct war with us, they should know that we are not those who fear them, and that they are facing an entire people,” al-Houthi added, noting that American soldiers in Yemen would “face something harsher than what they faced in Afghanistan and what they suffered in Vietnam.”
The threat comes as Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin announced an operation to counter Houthi attacks in the Red Sea.
“The recent escalation in reckless Houthi attacks originating from Yemen threatens the free flow of commerce, endangers innocent mariners, and violates international law,” Austin said. “The Red Sea is a critical waterway that has been essential to freedom of navigation and a major commercial corridor that facilitates international trade. Countries that seek to uphold the foundational principle of freedom of navigation must come together to tackle the challenge posed by this non-state actor launching ballistic missiles and uncrewed aerial vehicles (UAVs) at merchant vessels from many nations lawfully transiting international waters.”
The Defense Secretary declared the hostile forces an “international challenge that demands collective action.”
“Therefore, today I am announcing the establishment of Operation Prosperity Guardian, an important new multinational security initiative under the umbrella of the Combined Maritime Forces and the leadership of its Task Force 153, which focuses on security in the Red Sea.”
