YEMEN’S Houthi rebels have said their “fingers are on the trigger” as the bloodthirsty militants gear up to fight for Iran.
Tehran has already threatened to unleash its deadly proxy fighters on a second major trade route leading to the Suez Canal in a ploy to deepen the ongoing economic crisis.
Houthi military mouthpiece Yahya Saree has now declared that the insurgents will hit Washington and Israel if they use the Red Sea to carry out “hostile operations” against Iran.
It comes as…
“We confirm that our fingers are on the trigger for direct military intervention,” Saree said in a televised speech.
Saree added that the Houthis were prepared to jump in if US-Israeli forces ramp up their campaign against Iran and the “axis of resistance” continued.
Houthi supporters today staged a massive rally in solidarity with Iran and Lebanon on the streets of Sana’a – Yemen’s capital – this afternoon.
Children were snapped wielding toy rifles as masked security guards watched over the baying crowds with real ones of their own.
Other loyalists were captured waving their fists and screaming at the top of their lungs in front of hundreds of placards showing messages of support for the reeling regime.
Hundreds of rifles were held aloft in front of billboards displaying the fallen Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Framed posters of the Houthi leader Abdul-Malik al-Houthi were also brandished by members of the fanatical crowd.
Houthi involvement raises the concerning prospect of a broader regional conflict, especially if rebels in camps along the coast begin firing at trade vessels.
Iran’s Shi’ite allies in Lebanon – primarily Hezbollah – and Iraq have already taken up arms on Iran’s behalf.
But the Houthis had not until now announced any direct entry into the war, despite their military capabilities and strategic position overlooking the Red Sea.
Saree also warned against any further tightening of what he described as “the blockade on Yemen” and called for an immediate end to the blitzing of Iran.
During the war in Gaza, the Houthis wreaked havoc on international shipping in the Red Sea.
Last July, the world witnessed the group sink two giant cargo ships within days of one another.
The Houthis released dramatic footage of the Greek-owned Eternity C sinking, which had been targeted with gunfire and explosive drones – killing at least four crew members.
Rebels also sank the bulk carrier Magic Seas in another hellish attack.
The dramatic attacks led to sea traffic dropping, while insurance costs rocketed in one of the world’s major shipping lanes.
It comes as Iran is maintaining its iron grip on the Strait of Hormuz, peppering the vital 24-mile waterway with deadly naval mines, paralysing international trade and sending fuel costs sky-high.
And now Iran’s mullahs have promised to turn up the heat by shutting off the Bab al-Mandab Strait, a critical chokepoint to trade between Europe and Asia.
The strait serves over a tenth of global seaborne trade and – given that 20 per cent of the world’s oil supply has already been cut off via the Strait of Hormuz – could spell disaster for international commerce.
A blockade would effectively mean that nearly half of all maritime trade would be at the whim of the sadistic IRGC.
The Bab al-Mandab Strait sits strategically at the mouth of the Red Sea, which connects Asia to Europe via the Suez Canal.
The vital canal is one of the most important trade routes in the world – offering the shortest maritime route between the two continents.
Bab al-Mandab Strait, meanwhile, serves as the primary route for nearly 10million barrels of oil a day, along with boatloads of essential natural gas, goods and food.
A military source told Iranian state TV that the regime has kept a blockade of the waterway as a trick up its sleeve.
“If the Americans want to think of a solution for the Strait of Hormuz with foolish actions, they should be careful not to add another strait to their problems and dilemmas,” they said.
“If the enemy wants to take any action on the ground in the Iranian islands or anywhere else in our territories, we will open other fronts as a surprise for them so that their action doubles their costs.
“Iran is fully prepared to escalate the situation.
“If the enemy has doubts and no wisdom to learn from its experiences, it can test us again.”
