Yemen's Houthi group on Friday organized massive rallies to voice support for Palestinians after an Israel-Hamas peace deal took effect the same day, vowing to take actions if Israel and the United States fail to implement the ceasefire.
The truce, announced on Thursday, is the first step in a U.S.-backed 20-point peace plan. Under the initial phase of the cease-fire, Israel is expected to release nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners in exchange for the return of all hostages.
The rallies were also held to show solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza and denounce Israel's military actions.
Senior Houthi official Mohammed Miftah, head of the group's administrative body, made a rare public appearance at the event and addressed the crowd. It was the first time in months that a top Houthi leader had spoken publicly at such an event.
"We congratulate the Palestinian people in general, particularly the people of Gaza and the heroes of the resistance for their great steadfastness," Miftah said in the rally.
Meanwhile, Houthi leaders also said that the group will closely monitor the implementation of the ceasefire and the development of the situation. They do not rule out the possibility of use of force if tensions escalate again.
"We will closely watch the implementation of the ceasefire terms. If the agreement is not implemented, we will act as we have before. We distrust that Israel and the United States will honor the deal.We will respond according to how the situation develops," said Hasan Sharafeddin, a senior Houthi official.
According to organizers, Friday's rally could be the final one to show support for Palestine if the ceasefire holds.
Yemen's Houthis vow actions if Israel, US fail to implement Gaza ceasefire
Yemen's Houthis vow actions if Israel, US fail to implement Gaza ceasefire
Yemen's Houthis vow actions if Israel, US fail to implement Gaza ceasefire
As the diplomatic engagement between the United States and Iran continues despite a faltering ceasefire, a former commander of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has said that Iran is prepared to use military power to break the U.S. maritime blockade should the negotiations collapse or run on too long.
Mohsen Rezaee, who also currently serves as a member of the Iranian Expediency Discernment Council, struck a confident tone about Iran's current trajectory in an exclusive interview with China Global Television Network (CGTN) in Tehran on Wednesday.
He said the country has withstood over two decades of crippling sanctions and continued to move forward.
"We have been under sanctions for more than 20 years. The number of sanctions likely exceeds 2,000, targeting individuals, enterprises, corporations, ships, insurance companies, and even foreign countries that interacted with us. However, we have managed to find solutions to neutralize these sanctions, and we will continue to do so moving forward," he said.
He said Iran aims to ease the sanctions burden through talks with the U.S., although at the same time, he said, Iran is ready to shift to a military response if the path to a peaceful resolution closes.
"Furthermore, we will compel the U.S. to lift these sanctions. We will force the U.S. to end the maritime blockade -- either through negotiations or, should they resist, through direct action and we will attack U.S. warships. Therefore, despite all the pressures, the future of our economy is bright and promising, while the future of the US economy is bleak," he said.
While any new war against Iran would be a dead end, the best way out for the U.S. is to continue talks, according to the senior official.
"We have prepared ourselves so that if the maritime blockade continues beyond a certain timeframe, we will launch an attack and break the blockade. The Americans have no choice but to negotiate. Continuing this war is a journey into a very dark tunnel for the United States. The more America chooses to fight, the deeper it enters a tunnel with no end. Yet for us, the path is perfectly clear. America is moving toward us in the dark, while we are monitoring their every move," he said.
Former IRGC chief says Iran ready to break U.S. naval blockade by force if talks fail
