Houthis warn US, Israel of war if Iran is attacked : June 12

Houthis warn US, Israel of war if Iran is attacked : June 12

Reports of a possible Israeli attack against Iran have prompted a source in the Ansar Allah movement, popularly known as the Houthis, to warn Israel and the United States, according to Newsweek.

 

Following reports on Wednesday of the evacuation of U.S. non-essential personnel and their families from regional nations, such as Iraq, Bahrain, and Kuwait, a Washington Post article quoting anonymous officials claimed that the actions were being taken in preparation for an impending Israeli strike against Iran.

The Israeli news agency Channel 14 also stated that the nation was getting ready to begin a significant assault against Iran shortly.

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An Israeli naval strike against Ansar Allah, a part of the Iran-led Axis of Resistance coalition that has been launching missile and drone attacks against Israel since the start of the conflict between Israel and the Palestinian Hamas movement in October 2023, triggered the escalating tensions.

The group had chosen a heightened level of preparation,according to an Ansar Allah source who responded to the reports,telling Newsweek that it was already “essentially in a state of war with the Zionist enemy entity due to its aggression and siege on Gaza,followed by its aggression against Yemen.”

 

 

“In this regard,we are in a state of constant readiness and are working to escalate our operations against the usurping entity, against the backdrop of the escalating massacres in Gaza and the worsening humanitarian situation there,”a source with Ansar Allah stated.

The source from Ansar Allah also cautioned the United States from taking any action against the group or its Iranian partner.

According to the source from Ansar Allah, “We are also at the highest level of preparedness for any possible American escalation against us,” “Any escalation against the Islamic Republic of Iran is also dangerous and will drag the entire region into the abyss of war.”

The source continued, “America has no right to target our community’s and our region’s countries in support of the Zionist enemy entity, which is seen as the region’s main security danger. “It is certainly not in the interest of the American people to become involved in a new war in service of the Zionist entity.”

A U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) official who was contacted for comment directed Newsweek to the Pentagon press office, which did not immediately reply.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and the Iranian Mission to the UN have also been contacted by Newsweek for comment.

 

 

Between War and Diplomacy :
The events coincide with fresh ambiguities surrounding the current nuclear talks between Tehran and Washington,which were scheduled to begin their sixth round in Oman on Sunday.

Esmaeil Baghaei, a spokesman for the Iranian Foreign Ministry, described the current terms as “unacceptable” on Monday, indicating that Iranian officials would likely counter an existing U.S. offer during the meeting.

President Donald Trump said that day that Iran’s answer so far had been not acceptable,and that the alternative was very, very dire. Additionally,he stated on Monday’s “Pod Force One” podcast that he was growing less confident in the possibility of closing a transaction.

However,according to sources CNN and Axios quoted,Trump called on Monday and once again dissuaded Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu against launching a military campaign against Iran. At least twice in the past,Trump has hinted that he had urged the Israeli premier to refrain from attacking Iran while talks were still in progress.

Regarding nuclear negotiations,Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi took a more upbeat stance on Tuesday,stating that Trump’s repeated commitment to keep Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon is actually in line with our own doctrine and could become the main foundation for a deal.

“As we resume talks on Sunday,it is clear that an agreement that can ensure the continued peaceful nature of Iran’s nuclear program is within reach—and could be achieved rapidly,”in a statement posted to X,formerly Twitter,Araghchi, who is leading the Iranian delegation attending the talks, stated.

“That mutually beneficial outcome relies on the continuation of Iran’s enrichment program, under the full supervision of the IAEA [International Atomic Energy Agency],and the effective termination of sanctions,” he stated.

The announcement coincided with the Iranian Intelligence Ministry’s threat to make public a wealth of materials allegedly connected to Israel’s own nuclear arsenal,which Israeli officials have neither acknowledged nor denied having for decades. Iran’s Supreme National Security Council said that if Iran’s nuclear facilities were attacked, the locations listed in the documents would be targeted.

In the event of a preemptive strike, Iranian Defense Minister Aziz Nasirzadeh warned on Wednesday that American military installations will also be targeted.

According to Reuters,Nasirzadeh stated,”If negotiations don’t work out, some officials on the other side threaten conflict.” “If a conflict is imposed on us … all U.S. bases are within our reach,and we will boldly target them in host countries.”

A few hours later, CBS News said that U.S. officials were told Israel was ready to strike Iran and that retaliation might target the U.S. presence in Iraq. As a result,the embassy in Baghdad was partially evacuated.

According to a statement released by the U.S. Embassy in Iraq on Wednesday, “the U.S. Department of State ordered the departure of non-emergency U.S. government personnel from Iraq on June 11.”

American Influence in the Middle East :
An estimated 2,500 American soldiers are stationed in Iraq to provide guidance and training to Iraqi forces in their conflict with the Islamic State militant group (ISIS). Although Tehran and Washington share an adversary in ISIS, Iran has seen the U.S. presence in the nation as a threat.

Iran had previously attacked American forces in January 2020 after Major General Qassem Soleimani, a senior Iranian military leader, was assassinated. Trump ordered his murder in retaliation to confrontations between Iraqi militias supporting Tehran’s Axis of Resistance and U.S. soldiers.

Although the current government has not yet reaffirmed its commitment to the program, President Joe Biden, Trump’s predecessor, announced last September a two-phase plan to start removing American military personnel from Iraq.

Islamic Resistance-affiliated militias in Iraq have warned to relaunch attacks on American soldiers if Washington and Baghdad do not provide a firm schedule to guarantee the withdrawal of American forces.

Other important bases and facilities in the region are also owned by the United States, namely in Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates. According to the Associated Press at the time, Biden raised the number of personnel in the larger CENTCOM area of operations from 34,000 to about 43,000 while also indicating a phased withdrawal of American forces in Iraq.

The Threat of the Houthi :
In response to Ansar Allah’s attacks on Israel, U.S. forces in the area have launched direct strikes against the group. Additionally,between October 2023 and last month,when Trump announced a surprise agreement with the group,there was an unprecedented campaign that,according to U.S. officials,targeted both civilian and U.S. military vessels hundreds of times.

The U.S. leader claimed that in return for a halt to U.S. activities against the group, Ansar Allah had consented to halt its maritime campaign. Notably, the agreement did not halt Ansar Allah’s drone and missile attacks against Israel, which recommenced in March following the failure of a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas in January.

These long-range attacks on Israel have continued, with Ansar Allah most recently firing a ballistic missile on Wednesday, just hours after the Israeli Navy attacked Yemen’s port of Al-Hodeidah in retaliation for previous attacks by the group.

Since the Lebanese Hezbollah movement signed a ceasefire with Israel last November, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s government fell to an Islamist-led rebel coalition less than two weeks later, and the Islamic Resistance in Iraq stopped attacking after the initial Gaza truce in January, the group has become the most active member of the Axis of Resistance.

Under the leadership of Abdul-Malek al-Houthi,Ansar Allah took over the capital of Yemen ten years ago and now holds up to 80 percent of the country’s population and around a third of its land. Since a United Nations-mediated truce in April 2022, hostilities between the group and Yemen’internationally recognized government,which is backed by Saudi Arabia, have largely stopped.

The group nevertheless disputes that Iran has given it direct support.