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.



Egypt Deports Dozens More Foreign Nationals Heading for March to Gaza

 Palestinians carry bags containing food and humanitarian aid packages delivered by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, a US-backed organization, in Rafah, southern Gaza Strip, Wednesday, June 11, 2025. (AP)
Palestinians carry bags containing food and humanitarian aid packages delivered by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, a US-backed organization, in Rafah, southern Gaza Strip, Wednesday, June 11, 2025. (AP)
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Egypt Deports Dozens More Foreign Nationals Heading for March to Gaza

 Palestinians carry bags containing food and humanitarian aid packages delivered by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, a US-backed organization, in Rafah, southern Gaza Strip, Wednesday, June 11, 2025. (AP)
Palestinians carry bags containing food and humanitarian aid packages delivered by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, a US-backed organization, in Rafah, southern Gaza Strip, Wednesday, June 11, 2025. (AP)

Egyptian authorities on Friday detained or deported more foreign nationals seeking to join a pro-Palestinian march to Gaza.

Hundreds of international activists arrived in Egypt this week for the Global March to Gaza, an initiative aimed at pressuring Israel to end its blockade of the enclave.

Organizers said on Thursday people from 80 countries were set to begin the march to Egypt's Rafah Crossing with Gaza.

Egypt's Foreign Ministry has said visits to the Rafah border region must be coordinated in advance with Egyptian embassies or government entities and underlined the need to follow official procedures to ensure safety and security.

Organizers say they coordinated with Egyptian authorities and have urged the government to release those detained.

Groups of foreign participants were being held at checkpoints, and sit-ins had begun at two locations on the road leading to the Rafah crossing, organizers said.

They said police were stopping vehicles about 30 km (20 miles) from Ismailia, close to the Sinai peninsula, en route to Rafah, nearly 300 km away. Police were forcing passengers with non-Egyptian passports to disembark, they said.

Security sources confirmed that at least 88 individuals had been detained or deported from Cairo airport and other locations.

Officials at Cairo International Airport said new directives were issued to airlines requiring all passengers travelling to Egypt between June 12 and 16 to hold confirmed return tickets.

Three airport sources told Reuters on Thursday at least 73 foreign nationals had been deported on a flight to Istanbul after authorities said they violated entry protocols, and that about 100 more were at the airport awaiting deportation.

Israel's defense minister told the Israeli military on Wednesday to prevent demonstrators entering Gaza from Egypt, and said the march was a threat to Israeli and regional security.