If Closing Bab al-Mandab Is in the Interest of the Axis of Resistance, We Will Not Hesitate

TEHRAN (Defapress) - Field and strategic developments in the geography of Yemen have entered a decisive stage. Sanaa's effective entry into regional equations, targeting strategic and vital targets deep inside the Hijaz, and Ansar Allah's unbreakable link with the Axis of Resistance have elevated the scene of conflict from a local battle to a direct confrontation with the plans of global arrogance and the Zionist regime.

In this context, the Defapress correspondent conducted an interview with Major Abed Muhammad al-Thawr, Advisor to the Ministry of Defense and Military Production and Assistant Director of the Moral Guidance Department of the Yemeni Armed Forces, the full text of which follows below.

Muhammad al-Thawr stated at the beginning of his remarks: "Today, we are on the verge of freedom and a final military decision. Following the liberation of Al-Mocha, Dhubab, and the entire western coast, and the consolidation of control over Bab al-Mandab, our forces executed an important military operation and strengthened the concentration of their forces in the southern Red Sea and at Bab al-Mandab to deprive mercenaries of the opportunity to exploit Bab al-Mandab."

He emphasized: "Now there is no longer any room for the deployment of their forces, as we liberated these areas covering a geographical expanse of 5,400 square kilometers during the first week. After taking control of Al-Waziyah, Mawza, and Maqbanah, which are districts belonging to Lahij, our forces advanced and managed to impose a complete siege on the city of Taiz, which is the only remaining area."

The Advisor to the Yemeni Minister of Defense added: "Our forces are enforcing the siege from all directions including the east, southwest, west, and north, with only one passage remaining toward Toq al-Baha. As always, when our forces reach the targeted locations, they prefer to flee. This happened in the city of Al-Turbah, which was the administrative center of Al-Hujariyah and a gathering center for mercenary forces and the Muslim Brotherhood; therefore, their return will be extremely difficult, especially since our forces have seized control of all the heights of Taiz."

Liberation of Taiz as the Gateway to Lahij and Aden

He also noted: "Taiz is the southern gateway to Lahij and Aden. We will not expand our attacks beyond this and will limit ourselves to the total capture of Taiz and the closure of all passages. What the enemy is doing today, closing all entrances to the city of Taiz and preventing the movement of people is a specific crime against the humanitarian situation. They are currently carrying out assassinations and massacres."

Muhammad al-Thawr stressed: "There is no longer any exit route, and today they are fully within our line of fire. However, the city is crowded, which is why our forces act with caution and precision, attempting to make contact with elders and figures of authority to save the city from destruction. They are currently hitting us with mortars and artillery, and the Saudi enemy is using aircraft to create a breach in the path of our forces, but they have achieved nothing."

He stated: "The fronts and axes on whose threshold we stand today involve the total clearing of Taiz, and our forces will move to complete the operation and pursue the remnants of the mercenaries toward Ad-Dali' and the outskirts of Al-Bayda, Shabwah, and Marib. The final and decisive military direction will occur after the clearing of Taiz or simultaneously with it; military operations in Marib are also ongoing, and after the liberation of 12 districts, only the central district of Marib and the Al-Wadi district remain."

Saudi Arabia Fights Without Purpose

The Advisor to the Yemeni Minister of Defense stated: "Our forces today are on their way to liberate the remainder of Marib and the outskirts of Al-Bayda from the eastern direction. We are using an appropriate military strategy, and while confronting the Saudi enemy, our fight focuses on intensifying pressure deep inside Saudi territory; we will not hesitate to strike Aramco facilities, vital targets, energy centers, refineries, power plants, and decision-making centers."

The Assistant Director of the Moral Guidance Department of the Yemeni Armed Forces added: "The truth is that the Saudi regime is fighting without purpose. They are trying to regain their past position in the region after losing their guardianship and dominance over Yemen. Today, following the September 21, 2014 revolution, Yemen threw off Saudi and American guardianship. Saudi Arabia assumed Yemen was entirely part of its territory, but today it stands defeated."

Muhammad al-Thawr also noted: "In the war from March 2015 to 2021, we inflicted heavy losses on the enemy, especially in ground combat. We reached the proximity of Najran, Jizan, and Asir, as well as Al-Jufah, Samtah, and very important centers deep inside Saudi territory. When Saudi Arabia called for a ceasefire, its goal was to find an opportunity to regroup, reorganize its ranks, and introduce new systems into the field."

The Yemeni Arsenal Is a Product of Domestic Capability

He emphasized: "The Yemeni military arsenal is domestically produced, capable in every sense of confronting the advancement of Western weaponry. Today, the Yemeni Armed Forces have reached a stage of development in missiles and drones that actually reach sensitive targets deep inside Saudi Arabia. Saudi defense systems acquired from Israel and the United States failed to intercept our missiles."

The Advisor to the Yemeni Minister of Defense stated: "Saudi Arabia attempts in vain to deceive the world. In recent days, two major military operations deep inside enemy territory in Riyadh and attacks on Aramco refineries were announced, and up to this moment, fire and smoke continue to rise; additionally, the Abqaiq area in the Eastern Province, where the Aramco company is located, was targeted."

Muhammad al-Thawr added: "The superiority of Yemeni military production has become evident through our battle with American forces; we were able to confront American weaponry and their aircraft carriers in the Red Sea, the Mediterranean, the Arabian Sea, and the Gulf of Aden. Trump called for a ceasefire and testified that Ansar Allah are brave. Today, there is no issue other than responding to escalation with escalation."

He stated: "We will directly strike Saudi oil and energy capabilities. Today, Riyadh has become insecure against Yemeni missiles and drones. Our policy is to lift the siege on our country, and we know how to deal with the Saudi regime and will use the language it understands."

Saudi Arabia Has No Fighters to Fight

The Advisor to the Yemeni Minister of Defense noted: "It is the first time Saudi Arabia is fighting, and it lacks the ability to fight; it may possess the best weapons, but it lacks men to fight. They failed in utilizing mercenaries internally. The collapses became evident after Saudi Arabia held dominance over the Al-Mocha region and the western coast."

Muhammad al-Thawr continued: "After clearing those areas, Saudi Arabia lost an important military base and the international airport in Al-Mocha that it relied upon and where it stored American weapons. We deal with Saudi Arabia as a party to the conflict and will not accept Saudi Arabia as any other entity in negotiations."

He also noted: "Regarding the mercenaries, we are sons of one Yemen and can deal with our fellow countrymen. But regarding foreign mercenaries, the military operation last week in Khamis Mushait deep within the Jizan region was significant, and the deaths of Sudanese, Saudis, and other nationalities demonstrate that foreign forces are attempting. No matter how much Saudi Arabia uses other fighters, whether Syrian, Turkish, or Pakistani, we are ready."

The Advisor to the Yemeni Minister of Defense emphasized: "We know that coordination between the Saudi entity and the Zionist regime has existed from 2015 up to today. Saudi Arabia relies on intelligence provided by Israel and America, but intelligence is the commander of the field. Israel may provide intelligence to Saudi Arabia through spies and traitors, but in contrast, our security apparatuses have succeeded in arresting many of the cells operating on their behalf."

Joint Operations Room of Iran, Yemen, Iraq, Lebanon, and Palestine

Muhammad al-Thawr stated: "The result of their intelligence was the fall of a large section of the Yemeni government in September of last year and the targeting of senior commanders; but praise be to God, these events had no impact on the performance of the armed forces, and we continue to develop capabilities and strategic plans. Our cooperation with Iran, Lebanon, Iraq, and Palestine through joint operations rooms is permanent, and we exchange intelligence and perspectives."

He further added: "The secret of our steadfastness is that we are a faithful people, and our trust in our leader 'Sayyid Abdul-Malik al-Houthi' is immense. The Yemeni fighter fights with the spirit of faith and the Quran. This loyalty is manifested in our belief that we are a faithful people and have the right to benefit from our wealth. The Yemeni fighter knows he is facing a just cause, whereas Saudi Arabia fights without any cause and participates in an unjust war using its money and its Christian and Jewish allies."

The Advisor to the Yemeni Minister of Defense also noted: "The liberated provinces under the control of Sanaa are models of security and stability, unlike the areas under the control of mercenaries in Aden and Hadramout, which are models of violence and corruption. Today, the Yemeni people know that Sanaa is secure. Despite the lack of resources, the government's policy has managed to maintain the rate of the Yemeni Rial."

Muhammad al-Thawr emphasized: "Today, support is expanding in provinces that have witnessed transformation, such as Hadramout and Shabwah, because they see security and dignity in the Sanaa government, unlike what they suffer from Saudi Arabia's total domination over their officials who are imprisoned in Riyadh hotels."

Iran Is a Supporter of Yemen and Yemen Is a Supporter of Iran

He stated: "We constantly repeat that our relationship with Iran is a firm, historical, religious, and political relationship. We and Iran are part of the Axis of Resistance. Iran was the only country that stood by us in all arenas and did not abandon us, neither us, nor Lebanon, nor Iraq. So today, we are a supporter of Iran, and Iran is a supporter of us."

The Advisor to the Yemeni Minister of Defense said: "Some try to say that Yemen is Iran's arm, whereas we are a supporter of Iran and have a long reach with which we can strike anyone who intends to harm Iran. We will not allow any power to harm Iran, and we will not leave Iran alone in war. When Iran entered into war with America and Israel, we declared our participation."

Praising Iran, Muhammad al-Thawr added: "Iran is the spirit of Resistance for us, and under no circumstances will we abandon Iran. It is our right to ally with whomever we wish. The attempt to accuse Iran of providing us with weapons and experts is a lie. We are independent, but we feel what Iran feels; when Iran suffers pain, we suffer pain, and when the Iranian people rejoice, we rejoice."

The Advisor to the Yemeni Minister of Defense said: "We will remain a single force. The Bab al-Mandab Strait is in our hands, and if we see that closing it serves Iran's interest in confronting the enemy, we will not hesitate to do so."

The Battle in the Region Intensifies

In conclusion, he stressed: "If the coalition insists on escalation, Yemen will change the military equation and the rules of engagement. Today, our main issue is Palestine and standing against the Israeli enemy. Our condition for stopping military operations against ships was the cessation of atrocities in Gaza. When negotiations began, we committed to halting operations."

Muhammad al-Thawr added: "If the confrontation begins anew and the Hamas leadership requests our support once again, we will not hesitate to support them and will target the enemy's vital, oil, and military facilities once more. We remain committed to what Gaza is committed to."

The Advisor to the Yemeni Minister of Defense stated: "The future of this conflict hinges on the security of Gaza. If Israel continues its oppression, the region will be set ablaze. I predict that the battle between America and Iran will intensify and Israel will also enter the war; Yemen will be one of the parties supporting Iran and Palestine in the upcoming battle. I believe Iran has truly emerged victorious; Iran, as a power, is the best in the world for having brought America to its knees. We and Iran are one body; whatever the future scenario may be, whether war or peace, we are together."