Advisor Asserts West Asia Not a Western Backyard, Calls for Lifting Yemen Blockade
Ali Akbar Velayati, a senior adviser to the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Ummah and Oppressed, has urged an end to the 11-year blockade imposed on Yemen. He commended the Ansarullah resistance movement for its backing of the Palestinian cause and its solidarity with the people of Gaza.
In a statement posted on X commemorating the anniversary of the Prophet Muhammad’s passing, Velayati highlighted on Tuesday the significant role Yemen and Ansarullah play in defending both the Muslim community and Gaza “with sincere faith and conviction.” He emphasized that any harm inflicted upon them would equate to harm against the broader Muslim community.
He additionally advocated for the removal of the blockade on Yemen, highlighting the nation as a crucial element of the “resistance front.”
Velayati dismissed the notion that West Asia should be subject to external influence, asserting that the region is “neither the backyard of the West nor the sphere of influence of any other power.”
Trump called on Saudi Arabia to shift its stance on Yemen, advocating for increased support toward Palestine and the Palestinian cause.
Ali Akbar Velayati urged Saudi Arabia to shift its focus away from exerting pressure on Yemen and instead prioritize defending Palestine and the Palestinian cause. He advised Saudi Arabia to learn from what he described as the costly and unwise policies pursued by the United States.
Saudi Arabia, along with its Arab allies, initiated a blockade on Yemen on March 26, 2015, as part of a comprehensive military campaign. This operation received substantial military, political, and logistical backing from the United States and various Western nations.
The ongoing conflict in Yemen has resulted in the tragic loss of tens of thousands of lives, yet it continues to fail in achieving its primary goal of reinstating the previously Riyadh-friendly government.
Following a power struggle that led to the government’s departure from the country, Ansarullah, Yemen’s popular resistance movement, has assumed control of state governance.
In the wake of a tenuous ceasefire brokered by the United Nations in 2022, the United States, the United Kingdom, and Israel launched multiple rounds of extensive military operations against Yemen.
The assaults aimed to undermine Sana’a’s ability to launch retaliatory strikes against Israeli targets, following Tel Aviv’s ongoing military operations in the Gaza Strip.
