Axis of Resistance active? Houthis warn US against entering Iran-Israel war, says 'will hit American...'

Yemen's Houthi rebels on Saturday (June 21) threatened the United States against entering the ongoing Israel-Iran conflict. In a video statement, Houthis said that they would attack the US vessels in the Red Sea despite a recent truce with Washington if it joins Israel's campaign against Iran.
"If the US gets involved in an attack and aggression against Iran with the Israeli enemy, the armed forces (Houthis) will target its ships and warships in the Red Sea," the group's military spokesman Yahya Saree said in a video statement. This is the first statement by a member of the ‘Axis of Resistance’ after Israel's strike on Iran on June 13.

For decades, Iran built up a network of militias that shared a hatred of Israel and America, and called them the ‘Axis of Resistance’, but the silence from the resistance forces amid the ongoing war with Israel has raised major questions about its existence and its power in the region. Led by Iran, the 'Axis of Resistance’ included now-gone Syria’s Assad regime, the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah, various Iraqi Shiite militias, the Yemeni Houthis, and Palestinian factions like Hamas and Islamic Jihad.

Who are the allies of Iran?

Iran’s key global allies, Russia and China, have condemned Israel’s strikes. They have called for de-escalation from both sides. Russia warned the United States not to take military action against Iran. "We would like to particularly warn Washington against military intervention in the situation," Russian foreign ministry's spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told reporters.

Similarly, speaking at a press briefing, Guo Jiakun, spokesman for the Chinese foreign affairs ministry, said any use of force from the US would be seen as an infringement of Iran's sovereignty and security.

Another key Iranian ally - Pakistan - was quick to condemn the Israeli action. However, Pakistan's growing closeness with the US, including its Army Chief Asim Munir's lunch with US President Donald Trump and Pakistan's nominating him for Nobel peace prize has raised concerns about Islamabad's intentions in Tehran. Islamabad also denied receiving any request for "military assistance" from Iran while stressing that the Islamic Republic has the right to defend itself.

Other regional powers such as Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and Turkey might have slammed Israel, but will not solely support Iran because of their ties with the US.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Disclaimer: WION takes utmost care to accurately and responsibly report ongoing developments in the Israel-Iran conflict. In this context, claims and counterclaims are being made online and offline. However, we cannot independently verify the authenticity of all statements, photos, and videos.