A leading member of the Iranian-backed Houthi movement has threatened to turn Yemen into a “graveyard” for the United States, following the latest U.S. airstrikes on Houthi targets.

“Yemen’s leaders, armed forces, and people are fully prepared to enter a direct and all-out war with the Great Satan to defend Palestine,” Ali al-Qahoum said in an interview with Iran’s state news agency IRNA published on Monday, using a derogatory term for the U.S.

In the wake of the latest US strikes, al-Qahoum warned: “After this aggression, Yemen will turn into the graveyard of the Americans, and they will leave the region in humiliation.’’

More than three months after the start of the Gaza war, there is growing concern that the conflict will expand into a regional conflagration.

In recent weeks, the Shiite Houthis have repeatedly attacked ships in the Red Sea on their way to Israel.

In response, the U.S. and its allies bombed the positions of the militant Islamist group in Yemen.

Meanwhile, Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian once again rejected accusations that his country was directly involved in the attacks.

“The resistance forces in the region, including Yemen, are acting independently and within the framework of their interests,” the minister said on Sunday, according to IRNA.

The Houthis see themselves as part of a so-called “resistance axis,’’ a network in the fight against Israel, alongside other groups in the region allied with Iran.

According to experts, the latest bombings in Yemen could even strengthen the Houthis’ position.

“(A) collective international attack led by Britain and the U.S. will only boost support for the Houthis in Yemen given the general opposition to foreign intervention,’’ according to an analysis by the online portal Amwaj.

The airstrikes are likely to increase the Houthis’ reputation in the Arab world, as the movement has successfully exploited pro-Palestinian sentiment since the outbreak of the Gaza war.

The Islamic Republic of Iran is the only country in the world that maintains official diplomatic relations with the Houthis.

The Shiite Houthis have taken over large parts of the north of Yemen in their uprising, which has been ongoing since 2014, and they also control the capital Sana’a.

Tehran supports the group. Yemen is suffering one of the worst humanitarian disasters in the world, mainly due to the consequences of the civil war. (dpa/NAN)

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