ADEN, Yemen, March 26 (Xinhua) -- Yemen's Houthi militants said that the ongoing U.S. military attacks will not deter their operations in support of Gaza, as tensions in the Red Sea continue to escalate.
In a televised address Tuesday night marking "National Resilience Day" commemorating the tenth anniversary of the Saudi-led coalition's initial airstrikes, Mahdi Al Mashat, chairman of the Houthis' Supreme Political Council, delivered a defiant message challenging the ongoing U.S. military operations in Yemen.
Al Mashat directly addressed U.S. President Donald Trump, asserting that "the entirety of your presidential term would be insufficient to dissuade us." "Your decision to attack our country will not succeed in halting our operations supporting Gaza," he said.
Al Mashat criticized U.S. foreign policy, describing the military actions against Yemen as "reckless" and lacking legitimacy. He called on the international community to adopt a unified stance against what he termed "American aggression" and "Zionist crimes."
The Houthi leader emphasized the group's preparedness to respond to potential attacks, saying they have multiple options to protect their territorial integrity.
The Houthi-controlled media reported that U.S. warplanes conducted 17 airstrikes in the past 24 hours, targeting their strongholds in Saada and Amran provinces in northern Yemen. The Houthis claimed these strikes caused material damage to civilian property, though specific casualty details were not provided.
In mid-March, Trump ordered the U.S. military to launch "decisive and powerful military action" against the Houthi militia, after the latter announced their plans to resume attacks on Israeli ships in the Red Sea, citing Israel's blockade of aid to the Gaza Strip. ■
