TEHRAN – "Deterrence policy became an urgent necessity in Yemen because Saudi Arabia and its coalition understand only one language, the language of force," Director-General of Legal Affairs in the Yemeni Ministry of Education tells the Tehran Times.

The Ansarullah movement in Yemen on June 17 admitted attacks on two border airports in southwestern Saudi Arabia, using bomb-laden drones.

The first attack targeted the "operation room in Najran airport" in Najran region, while the other one hit "aircraft hangars in King Khaled Air Base in Khamis Mushait city" in Asir region Al-Masirah TV reported.

The attacks came in response to the airstrikes and blockade by the Saudi-led military coalition.

In this regard, the Tehran Times interviewed Abdul Wahab Al-Khail, director-general of legal affairs in the Yemeni Ministry of Education, who says, "The importance of this operation against Saudi Arabia lies in its targeting of the Ministry of Defense from which the offensives against Yemen is managed." 

Following is the text of the interview:

Question: What is your comment on the recent Yemeni military operation against Saudi Arabia?

Answer: The recent military operation carried out by the Yemeni missile forces against Saudi Arabia is the fourth deterrent balance operation targeting sensitive military and strategic sites in the Saudi capital, Riyadh, including the Ministry of Defense and Intelligence and Salman Air Base, as well as military sites in Jizan and Najran .

 They used Samad 3 drones and launched a large number of ballistic and cruise missiles, including Qods and Zulfikar, in this operation, which was preceded by three deterrence operations.

 The first operation targeted the Al Shaybah oil field in the southeast of the Saudi kingdom.

The field is located near the border with the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Saudi Arabia's main partner in the Arab coalition against Yemen. 

Certainly, dividing Yemen is in the interest of the Israeli entity The second deterrent balance operation in which the Abqaiq and Khurais oil refineries were targeted in the Eastern Province, is considered the largest in the world; it disrupted the heart of oil and gas in Saudi Arabia.

The third deterrence balance operation targeted Aramco and other sensitive targets in Yanbu and hit its targets with high accuracy.

The last operation came in response to the continuation of the blockade on the Yemenis by Saudi Arabia and the Arab coalition in preventing oil-laden tankers from reaching the port of Hodeidah.

Meanwhile, Yemen is suffering from the pandemic of the COVID-19. This blockade will result in a humanitarian crisis and catastrophe at health and service levels.

The medical facilities depend directly on oil derivatives, especially the intensive care rooms and medical operations.

In the event of a power outage, a disaster occurs; the patients whose lives are dependent on these devices will die, and the service facilities will also stop due to the lack of oil derivatives.

Saudi Arabia prevented oil-laden tankers from arriving in Yemen, though they had permits from the United Nations.

However, the UN has turned its back on Yemen and openly supported Saudi Arabia, neglecting the Yemenis' suffering under blockade and the COVID-19 outbreak.

Actually, they encouraged invading forces to continue with maritime crimes and piracy that fall within the acts that are criminalized according to the Convention on the High Seas, which signed in Geneva in 1958, and the General Maritime Treaty of 1820 which went into force in 1994.

The United Nations increased its support of  Saudi Arabia and the Arab coalition by removing them from the "list of shame," showing that it has lost the neutrality and competence to sponsor any endeavors or dialogue to resolve conflicts, especially in Yemen. 

Therefore, the Yemeni people did not sit idly by, and deterrence policy became an urgent necessity because Saudi Arabia and its coalition understand "only one language, the language of force. 

Self-defense is a right approved by Article (51) of the UN Charter, which states that "nothing in the present Charter shall impair the inherent right of individual or collective self-defense if an armed attack occurs against a Member of the United Nations until the Security Council has taken measures necessary to maintain international peace and security."

Nevertheless, the importance of the fourth deterrence balance operation lies in its targeting of the Ministry of Defense from which the offensives against Yemen is managed, dealing a blow to its military intelligence facility as its inefficiency was revealed as it failed to track any information about the operations carried out by the Yemeni forces against Saudi Arabia.

These operations prove that the Yemeni forces will hit any targets in a way the enemy will not expect in the (possible) next operations.

Political and military equations have changed, as the deterrent operations carried out by the Yemeni forces against Saudi Arabia showed it.

Despite technical and intellectual superiority and their military capabilities and weapons, which are the most advanced at the level of modern military industrialization, Saudis failed to track our missiles, and their American-made defense systems could not even detect any missile.

The Yemeni Minister of Defense, Major General Muhammad Nasser Al-Atefi, sent strongly-worded messages to the invading forces that we are continuing to carry out wide-ranging strategic operations against the Saudi strategic depth.  He further said the strategic operations would put an end to the arrogance of the invading regimes and their brutal crimes against the Yemeni people.

Q: Who will benefit from a division of Yemen? What is the role of Israel in the war on Yemen?

A: Certainly, dividing Yemen is in the interest of the Israeli entity, because it was not able, through the war against Yemen, to undermine the project of awareness and the Yemeni revolution. At the same time, the Yemenis support it, especially in the areas that invading forces were unable to occupy during the past five years. After six years of war, the power of the Yemeni army and the popular committees is growing by developing their military capabilities and expertise, and making ballistic missiles, advanced drones that reach Israel, as far as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has come out to announce his concern over them, accusing Iran of searching for ways to launch an accurate missile attack.  Therefore, after a long period of invasion against Yemen without any achievement to secure Israel, the Zionist entity tended to support the so-called Southern Transitional Council in southern Yemen to separate it from northern Yemen, which would be with international support. By splitting southern Yemen from its north, Israel and its Arab allies aim to have effective control over the strategic and important location of Socotra, Aden and the rest of the Yemeni territories, as it has secured control over the Red Sea and the Bab al-Mandab Strait which represents the most important seaports in the world. They also aim to create a base for the normalization project with Israel in areas controlled by Southern Transitional Council.

Q: Why is Israel trying to strengthen relations with the Transitional Council?

A: Israel is looking for a foothold in Yemen while it cannot do so through its mercenaries in the region, including the so-called Transitional Council in southern Yemen, which is under control of the Emirates.

They try to contain the danger of the growing awareness among Yemenis and their adherence to the Palestinian cause. 

Israeli anxiety has already started rising since the launch of the Islamic movement in Yemen, and the first call against America and Israel by the martyred leader Hussein Badr al-Din al-Houthi from the Maran Mountains.

 He launched a practical project to confront Israel and the American arrogance in the region, so the sense of danger was significantly greater among Israelis about this awakening.

Therefore, they moved their mercenaries in the region and inside Yemen with American cooperation to undermine this project. After 6 unfair wars (against Yemen in modern history), they were unable to achieve their goal. Still, the discontent against America and Israel has increased in the region, and the Islamic project and Yemeni awareness have expanded.

 At that time, Israel had no relation with the Arab regimes, especially Saudi Arabia and the Emirates. But after the revolution of September 21 that frustrated American hegemony and cut the hands of the Zionists who controlled the Yemeni decision in the past, Netanyahu, the prime minister of the Zionist enemy entity, appeared to express concern and fear about the revolution in Yemen in a speech before members of the American Congress saying that it threatens Israel. 

In his speech, Netanyahu referred to Israeli mercenaries in the region and helping them in the war against Yemen, saying Israel's interest lies in creating chaos in the country.

 As we saw a sample of normalization in the Warsaw conference, where the seat of Khaled al-Yamani -who was foreign minister in the traitors' government, was placed next to Netanyahu's chair.

To make matters worse, al-Yamani published his picture on his Twitter account praising this step. 

Israel has taken advantage of the slogans raised by the so-called Transitional Council, including the separation of the South from Yemen and the autonomy of the South, even though they are false slogans that have no base.

 This project is supported and directed by the Emirates against the Saudi-backed government, which doesn't accept the separation of south Yemen.

 An article published by an Israeli newspaper revealed the relation with the Emirates describing it as the new "secret friends" in Yemen.

Q: Is there coordination between Israel and Persian Gulf Arab countries to strike Yemen?

A: Coordination took place from an early date on Yemen, as we mentioned in the conversation since the wars of Sa`dah, but Israel was not directly visible at the time. However, they participated in the offensives against Yemen from the first day. A number of reports revealed that it had carried out military operations in Yemen, including targeting Jabal Naqam with a neutron bomb. Some statements indicate Israel's involvement after its allies failed to resolve the battle to its advantage.

Q: How do you assess America's role in supporting Saudi strikes on Yemen while it claims defense for democracy and human rights?

A: America is the Great Satan, and the invasion against Yemen has been announced from its lands. It is also seeking to re-impose its influence and control on Yemen, after thwarting its projects and the escape of its ambassador from Sana'a.

It is also exploiting the invasion against Yemen to milk the Saudi regime and plunder their money with billions of dollars in arms deals. It didn't lose even a dollar in the war against Yemen. Yet, American military equipment's pride was insulted in Yemen, just as the U.S. developed missile system failed to protect the Saudi regime. 

America was never a democracy nor supportive of it. It practices repression and violations even on its citizens, and it controls the United Nations and the Security Council to serve its interests and breaks international and humanitarian laws when it conflicts with its interests.