Houthis Threaten to Use New Defense System

Houthi Missile launch from Yemen (File Photo/AFP)
Houthi Missile launch from Yemen (File Photo/AFP)
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Houthis Threaten to Use New Defense System

Houthi Missile launch from Yemen (File Photo/AFP)
Houthi Missile launch from Yemen (File Photo/AFP)

Iran-backed Houthi militias have threatened to use a new air defense system, enhancing their military capabilities to counter the legitimate government.

The newly obtained system is most likely Iranian-made.

The threats came after Houthis’ so-called spokesman Yahya al-Saree and foreign minister Mohammad Abdel Salam Felita met in Tehran with commanders of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) and Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif.

Sources believe Felita's visit to Tehran may be linked to efforts to acquire new weapons which Iran smuggles into Yemen using its terrorist arms to reach Hodeidah port. The group still refuses to withdraw from Hodeidah according to the Swedish agreement.

The militias admitted to Felita’s meeting with FM Zarif, however, they did not disclose his meeting with IRGC commanders.

Houthi media claimed that during the meeting, they discussed means to strengthen bilateral and diplomatic relations with Tehran and joint cooperation to support the political solution in Yemen, as well as regional developments.

Observers believe the Iranian regime has summoned Felita to assign the group new terrorist missions in the Red Sea in order to ease international pressure in Hormuz Strait.

The Spokesman indicated that soon there will be discussions on the group’s air defense forces, especially with the recent developments in the system, boosting its performance to carry out operational tasks in various areas.

He indicated that the group’s military militias will soon unveil their new developments of the air defense.

Houthis rely on Iranian missiles and drones they receive to carry out terrorist acts and attacks against the Yemeni army and Saudi civilian areas. However, they claim in media reports that the missiles are manufactured in Yemen.

Despite the group's attempts to hide its direct subjection to Tehran orders, its leaders have always been grateful to Iran and its other arms in the region, such as Lebanon's Hezbollah and Iranian militias in Iraq.

Houthi leader Mohammad Ali al-Houthi said that the US Sanctions against Zarif were a sign of weakness. Mohammad Ali al-Houthi is preparing himself to chair the so-called Supreme Political Council.

The announcement of sanctions against Iran’s foreign minister is a sign of weakness and political lightness, he said, asserting the group’s condemnation for such a move.

He called upon Iran to remain vigilant and recalculate its moves before any contact with the US.

The Houthi leader tried to show his support to Zarif against US sanctions against him by saying they could not reach their goal from Hezbollah, nor from Abdul Malik bin Badreddine al-Houthi, nor anyone else, and they will not harm him.



First Wheat Shipment Since Assad’s Ouster Arrives in Syria’s Latakia

A farmer shows wheat plants at a field in Giza, Egypt April 18, 2025. (Reuters)
A farmer shows wheat plants at a field in Giza, Egypt April 18, 2025. (Reuters)
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First Wheat Shipment Since Assad’s Ouster Arrives in Syria’s Latakia

A farmer shows wheat plants at a field in Giza, Egypt April 18, 2025. (Reuters)
A farmer shows wheat plants at a field in Giza, Egypt April 18, 2025. (Reuters)

A ship carrying wheat has arrived in Syria's Latakia port, the first delivery of its kind since former President Bashar al-Assad was ousted by rebels in December, the government said on Sunday.

Officials of the new government say that while imports of wheat and other basics are not subject to US and UN sanctions, challenges in securing financing for trade deals have deterred global suppliers from selling to Syria.

The Syrian General Authority for Land and Sea Borders said in a statement that the ship carried 6,600 tons of wheat. It did not identify the nationality or destination of the boat, but one regional commodity trader told Reuters it was from Russia.

"A step that is considered a clear indication of the start of a new phase of economic recovery in the country," the borders authority said of the shipment, adding that it should pave the way for more arrivals of vital supplies.

Traders say Syria has this year been largely relying on overland imports from neighbors.

Russia and Iran, both major backers of the Assad government, previously provided most of Syria's wheat and oil products but stopped after the opposition triumphed and he fled to Moscow.

Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa's government is focused on economic recovery after 14 years of conflict.