The National Resistance, represented by its official spokesperson Brigadier General Sadeq Dwid, has stated that Iran is compelling the Houthi group to drag Yemen into its regional conflict, specifically through escalating actions in the Red Sea. Dwid asserted that recent Houthi rhetoric reflects intense pressure from Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) to utilize Yemen as a proxy in Tehran's geopolitical strategies.
Dwid elaborated in a statement on the "X" platform that the agitated tone in the recent address by Houthi leader Abdul-Malik al-Houthi is a direct consequence of severe pressure exerted by the IRGC. He clarified that the recent focus on Iranian flights to Sana'a is not aimed at breaking the alleged blockade, as the group claims, but rather to integrate Yemen further into Iran's ongoing conflict.
He noted that following the US and Israeli strikes on Iran in April, the IRGC had requested the Houthis to demonstrate solidarity, which initially involved issuing statements and organizing supportive events. However, recent military developments have prompted Iran to intensify its demands on the group.
Dwid explained that the recent, particularly damaging, US strikes against Iran have led the IRGC to push the Houthis for escalation in the Red Sea. This move is perceived as an attempt to alleviate military and political pressure on Tehran by opening a new front in the region.
The spokesperson emphasized that the Houthi leadership understands the difficulty of mobilizing its population for a direct war in support of Iran, given growing public opposition to involving Yemen in regional conflicts. He suggested that this internal challenge led the Houthi leader to direct his rhetoric towards Saudi Arabia, employing slogans of support for Gaza and discussing the blockade and cost of living, as a means to rally public sentiment and divert attention from the true motives behind the escalation.
Concluding his remarks, the National Resistance spokesperson affirmed that the Houthi decision-making is no longer independent. He stated that the actual authority rests not with Abdul-Malik al-Houthi and his group, but with the IRGC, with the Houthis' role reduced to executing Iranian directives. This, he argued, solidifies the Houthis' subservience to Tehran and confirms their utilization as a tool for implementing Iranian agendas in the region.
