By Abdullah Al-Hatayla

Okaz/Saudi Gazette

RIYADH — Yemeni Defense Minister Lt. Gen. Mohammed Ali Al-Maqdashi reaffirmed that Yemen will not be secure and stable unless it is rid of the evils of Iran and its Houthi militias and their subversive actions.

In an interview with Okaz/Saudi Gazette, he made a scathing attack on the Iranian regime. Al-Maqdashi said that Yemen has no longer been happy ever since the Persian devil laid its hand on the capital Sanaa.

The Yemeni minister praised the Kingdom’s efforts as the key supporter of Yemen and its people in their decisive battle against the Houthi militia, stressing that it is the first Arab shield in the face of the Iranian cross-border project.

Al-Maqdashi called for exerting pressure for the total implementation of the Riyadh Agreement, especially its military and security aspect, in restoring legitimacy in his country. He rejected reports about dispute between the Yemeni forces, saying that such reports are based on illusions of the Houthi militia.

Referring to the ongoing military operation in Marib, the minister reiterated that Marib is immune to the forces of evil and will remain a fortified fortress. “We will defend it while our eyes and that of all the free people are on Sanaa and Saada.”

He said the Yemeni army, with the support of the Coalition to Support Legitimacy, has confronted the attempts of the Houthi militia, which is being supported politically and militarily by Tehran, to hold the control of Marib.

“Our army broke the arrogance of the invaders who miscalculated and thought that getting control of Marib would be easy, but they are now meeting defeats on its walls after suffering painful material and human losses.”

Al-Maqdashi said that the guardians of the Yemeni Republic forces are from the sons of Yemen and are well-equipped with arms. “We welcome them to participate in defending the nation,” he said.

He pointed to the Yemeni president’s assertion that “every gun that fights Houthis and every bullet that stands in the side of the republic and confronts the militias of the rebellion and terrorism is our own guns and bullets.”