The Iranian-backed Houthis in Yemen celebrated the recent terror attack in Israel’s Elad which occurred Thursday evening. The group praised it as an operation “in the heart of the Zionist regime,” Iranian news media quoted the Houthi statement.

The Houthis are a rebel group in Yemen that have been fighting the Saudi-backed government of Yemen for years. In 2015, Saudi Arabia intervened in Yemen to prevent the group taking Aden and other cities. Since then, the Houthis have fired missiles and drones at Riyadh. They increasingly also condemn Israel and seek to work closely with Iran and Hezbollah. Their official slogan is antisemitic and calls for death to Israel and “cursing” Jews.

The group put out a statement of “congratulations on the Palestinian operation against the Israeli enemy.” The group said the “operation” took place in response to the actions of the Zionist enemy and its attack on Islamic sanctuaries. The Houthis said they support the attacks that have “shaken the Zionist regime.” They also called on Muslims in the region to support the attacks. They accused Israel of threatening the Al-Aqsa mosque.

The statement said that “what the Zionist enemy must know is that peace and security will not occur as long as Palestine is occupied, and that compromise agreements lead to nothing but defeat and despair.” The report then notes that “this action is taking place while the Zionist army forces raided the house of the martyr’s father in Jenin and clashed with the resistance forces.” The Houthis call the Palestinian terror groups “resistance.”

Iran is trying to knit together the Houthis with other pro-Iranian groups in Iraq, as well as with Hamas and Hezbollah. The goal for Iran is to create a united front against Israel that runs from Yemen along the Red Sea all the way to Iraq and the Gulf, as well as Syria and Lebanon. Iran wants to base drones and other threats in Yemen. The goal will be to use them against Israel in a future conflict. This is why Iran publishes the Houthi compliments regarding the recent terror attack.

Source:https://www.jpost.com/middle-east