Speech by Leader Al-Sayyid Abdul Malik Badruddin Al-Houthi on Anniversary of Grand Hall Massacre and Latest Developments

Last updated Oct 12, 2026

I seek refuge in Allah from Satan, the outcast.

In the name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful.

Praise is to Allah, Lord of the Worlds. I believe that there is no god but Allah, the Sovereign and the Manifest Truth, and that our master Muhammad is His servant, Messenger, and Last Prophet.

O Allah! Confer Your salat and blessings upon Muhammad and the Family of Muhammad as You conferred Your salat and blessings upon Ibrahim and the Family of Ibrahim. You are Owner of Praise, Owner of Glory! And be pleased with Muhammad’s good companions and all Your righteous servants and mujahidin.

Brothers and sisters, peace be upon you and the mercy of Allah and His blessings.

Allah (Glory be to Him) says in the Holy Quran, {‘And among mankind is he whose speech pleases you on the life of this world, and he calls Allah to witness as to what is in his heart, yet he is most fierce in enmity. And when he goes away, he strives throughout the land to cause corruption therein and destroy crops and animals. And Allah does not like corruption. And when it is said to him, “Fear Allah,” pride in the sin takes hold of him. Sufficient for him is Jahannam, and how wretched is the resting place‘}[Al-Baqarah 2:204-206]. This is the word of truth from Almighty Allah.

In these blessed Quranic verses, Allah provides us with a precise assessment and characterisation of a particular category of people in general, whether they are within the Islamic sphere and among those who are affiliated with Islam or outside it. This assessment and characterisation deepen our awareness as a Muslim Ummah that looks to the Holy Quran for guidance. At the same time, they help us avoid being misled by deception and deceptive tactics. Those who possess these characteristics cloak themselves in attractive but misleading labels, make use of media propaganda, and exploit religious scholars who lead people astray and promote falsehood. They also make use of other people of the same kind, who constantly seek to improve the image of tyrants, criminals, oppressors, and those who spread corruption on earth.

These blessed verses are of immense importance. They help ensure that our Muslim Ummah is fully aware of its situation and able to see matters clearly, without falling victim to the deceptive tactics employed by deceivers, hypocrites, criminals, oppressors, those who lead others astray, and those who promote falsehood.

From the beginning of this blessed verse, Allah makes it clear to us that this is a reality that exists among people. There are groups of people who exhibit these characteristics and seek to deceive others through what they say. Such people use labels and titles to mislead people who are impressed by such labels and take them at face value, accepting these descriptions and statements without looking beyond them. They offer people things they may find appealing either because they are religious descriptions and titles, or because they relate to people’s circumstances and matters that are important in their lives. This vital awareness, which we as a Muslim Ummah must develop through the Holy Quran, helps us remain vigilant and discerning at all times, so that we do not support any tyrant, any oppressor, any criminal, or any group of people pursuing a deviant course.

Allah says about those, {‘He calls Allah to witness as to what is in his heart‘}{Al-Baqarah 2:204]. Labels and titles may also be religious in nature, with their proponents going to great lengths to give them religious colouring. In practice, however, the reality may be entirely different, revealing a stark contrast and an enormous gulf between impressive, glittering labels and deceptive claims. This discrepancy becomes apparent when disputes arise. Arguments, confrontations, problems, and conflicts are among the situations in which people can be distinguished from one another and their true values can be revealed through their actions and attitudes. A person who is particularly fierce and contentious in a dispute reveals their true character whenever they enter into an argument or conflict: He adheres neither to religious values nor to human or moral values. He abandons all restraint, acts unjustly, aggresses against others, and transgresses the bounds of what is right. Furthermore, he persists in aggression and injustice, stubbornly refuses to acknowledge what is right, and shows no inclination towards fairness. For this reason, disputes, disagreements, and conflicts are among the most important situations in which people reveal their true character through their actions, attitudes, and conduct. Therefore, People should assess others on the basis of their actual behaviour, particularly in circumstances that allow for careful discernment and accurate judgement, when underlying truths are revealed clearly.

At the same time, Allah says about such a person, {‘And when he goes away, he strives throughout the land to cause corruption therein and destroy crops and animals. And Allah does not like corruption‘}[Al-Baqarah 2:205]. In practice, such a person acts in this way, spreading corruption on earth. His conduct amounts to corruption, manifested in various forms:

corrupting people’s lives;
undermining their relationships and the bonds that unite them;
seeking to lead people away from the path of truth;
spreading discord within communities and working to sever the bonds of brotherhood, faith and shared humanity;
spreading vice and wrongdoing in people’s lives; and
promoting corruption in the political, economic, and security spheres, and in every other sphere.

In practical terms, this amounts to destructive activity and a destructive course of action across every sphere of life.

{‘And destroy crops and animals‘}[Al-Baqarah 2:205]: As he is fierce and contentious in a dispute, his aggression and the hostile disposition he displays in the course of his disputes can drive him to such extremes that he seeks to destroy crops and agricultural resources themselves. He targets even a society’s agricultural sector, its means of livelihood, and its economy, seeking to devastate them through numerous and varied means. {‘He is most fierce in enmity‘}: He targets human communities through crimes involving extermination, including genocide, violating human life. His aggression extends beyond human communities to encompass livestock as well. In pursuing disputes, he resorts to criminal acts. The criminal character of his conduct reveals the extent of his aggression and the excesses to which he is willing to go.

{‘And Allah does not like corruption. And when it is said to him, “Fear Allah,” pride in the sin takes hold of him‘}[Al-Baqarah 2:205-206]: He refuses to heed advice. Even when reminded of Allah (Glory be to Him) and of divine punishment, he refuses to be deterred. Neither religious conviction nor human conscience restrains him, and he pays no heed to any advice offered to him. Instead, he stubbornly persists in his criminal conduct. Such a person does not accept fairness, justice, or the truth, and he brazenly perpetrates grave crimes and goes to extreme lengths in shedding human blood.

{‘Pride in the sin takes hold of him.‘}—growing ever more arrogant and defiant and stubbornly persisting in his oppression and tyranny, with his criminality and excesses continuing to escalate—{‘Sufficient for him is Jahannam, and how wretched is the resting place‘}[Al-Baqarah 2:206].

Among the most prominent contemporary examples of these characteristics are the Zionist enemy and its Zionist backers among the Americans and the unbelieving West. In our Islamic world, there are numerous examples of these characteristics, one of the most prominent being the Saudi aggressor. The Saudi enemy is among those who most clearly exhibit the characteristics described in these holy verses in our present age. These characteristics are reflected in his practices and conduct, beginning with his attempt to deceive Muslim society by presenting himself under religious titles, such as ‘Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques’! He portrays himself as the bearer of the Islamic banner and the representative of Islam and Muslims. The Saudi national flag bears the two testimonies of faith—’There is no god but Allah; Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah’—alongside a sword. However, ‘that sword’, depicted on the Saudi flag, has been wielded only against our Islamic Ummah. It has killed none but Muslims and has been directed only against the people of our Islamic Ummah. Throughout its history and right up to the present day, ‘their sword’ has never once been raised against the enemies of the Ummah. By ‘the sword’, we mean the military dimension in the broad sense, particularly the military stance and position.

When did the Saudi aggressor (who oppresses our Yemeni people and the peoples of our Islamic Ummah) take even a single military stand against Israel—the Zionist enemy, the avowed enemy and implacable foe of the Islamic Ummah—or against the Americans or anyone else? When did this happen? At what time? In what place? On what issue? This has never happened—not once. Its entire criminal history has been directed against our Islamic Ummah, particularly the Yemeni people. The Yemeni people have been among those who have suffered the most. In addition, the people of the Arabian Peninsula have suffered as well: Entire tribes have been wiped out, and many clans have been largely eradicated. These are facts recorded in history.

Today, we mark the anniversary of a grave crime and a horrific massacre committed by the Saudi aggressor against our Yemeni people: the attack on the Al-Rowaishan family’s condolence gathering at the Great Hall in the capital, Sana’a. This horrific crime left more than 1,000 Yemenis martyred or injured inside the hall.

Holding condolence gatherings is a social practice in Yemen, as it is in Islam more generally. Offering condolences, when someone dies or is martyred, is one of the practices prescribed by Allah for Muslims. In fact, in Yemen, this practice receives considerable social attention. That was why a large number of people attended the condolence gathering held for the Al-Rowaishan family. This was in 2016, and today marks this anniversary. when people gathered and the hall was filled with members of Yemeni society from all its different segments, the Saudi aggressor targeted that large gathering of people from Yemeni society with missiles, seeking to kill as many people as possible. Indeed, this is the objective behind its attacks on gatherings held on social and Islamic occasions. It continued to target several occasions of this kind, including condolence gatherings, wedding celebrations, and similar events. It targeted many such gatherings.

According to the Gregorian calendar, Yesterday or a day during this same week also marked the anniversary of a major crime committed by the enemy when it targeted a wedding in Sanban, Dhamar Governorate. This, too, was a grave crime, which resulted in the martyrdom of forty-nine people, both men and women—including children and women. It was a wedding! Seventy others were injured. These are among the many horrific and grave crimes committed by the Saudi aggressor against the people of our nation.

There is not a single day or month that passes without an anniversary of a crime committed by the Saudi aggressor against our Yemeni people. Is this not a flagrant excess in the shedding of blood? The Saudi enemy has continued to commit such crimes year after year. We are now in the twelfth year since the beginning of its aggression in 2015, and it continues to insist on pursuing the aggression, imposing the blockade, and committing extremely grave crimes against our dear people. Indeed, there are many such crimes, including some of the most well-known and prominent ones. The Attan bombing atrocity involved the use of a bomb from a category of weapons prohibited under international law. This is clear from the footage showing the bomb exploding in the capital, Sana’a, and the immense scale of the resulting devastation. The weapon was clearly one of those prohibited under international law, and the attack resulted in grave crimes, including numerous martyrs and injured individuals and widespread destruction of civilians’ homes. Another atrocity was the Saudi aggressor’s attack on the school bus in Dhahyan. The bus was full of schoolchildren, yet the enemy attacked them and described them at the time as ‘military experts’. The irrefutable truth subsequently became clear: The bus was carrying schoolchildren, not military experts. Further atrocities included the attack on a wedding in Dhamar and the attack on a wedding in Bani Qais, Hajjah Governorate. The latter was particularly painful, ranking among the most distressing and heartbreaking scenes. Other crimes included the enemy’s attack in Mokha, Taiz, and its numerous other crimes throughout Taiz, as well as its crimes in Al-Hudaydah.

Crimes have been committed across the Yemeni governorates, including the Capital Municipality, Sana’a Governorate, Amran Governorate, Sa’dah Governorate, Al-Jawf Governorate, and Ma’rib Governorate. Crimes of this kind, with different characterisations, have also been committed in Abyan, Al-Bayda, Dhamar, Al-Dhale’, Raymah, and Al-Hudaydah. Almost all, if not all, Yemeni governorates have witnessed such attacks, including Lahij and others. These crimes have been described in various terms, as I have mentioned: Some are described as crimes against humanity, some as war crimes, and others as major crimes. They have been assigned various descriptions and labels. These include attacks targeting people and mosques, thereby violating the sanctity of Muslim human life and the sanctity and sacredness of mosques, as well as attacks on people in markets, and so on. The Saudi aggressor continues along this same path, committing crimes involving the targeting of groups of people, attacks on markets, and attacks on homes and residential neighbourhoods.

Indeed, the first crime it committed at the beginning of its aggression against Yemen, on 26 March 2015, was the targeting of residential neighbourhoods in Sana’a. These attacks resulted in the martyrdom of a number of residents, including children and women, who had been safe in their homes. It continued, and continues, to follow this same course. Since it resumed its escalation—as we said yesterday that we are now in the third month—it has returned to the same approach: committing crimes in Sana’a, targeting schoolgirls and residents, as well as carrying out attacks in Al-Hudaydah, Taiz, and Sa’dah. Children and women have been martyred in these attacks. The Saudi enemy is a killer of children and women, having killed thousands of children and women in Yemen. The number of children and women martyred runs into the thousands, and the number of children and women injured is also in the tens of thousands. This is criminality and a systematic course of action.

Western media outlets are even reporting these days that the number of casualties—as they describe them, for we call them martyrs—among civilians, including women and children, has increased since the Israeli Zionist enemy resumed its cooperation with the Saudi enemy in its aggression against Yemen, amid the renewed escalation. This was also evident previously in the roles played by America, Israel, and Britain, as the Saudi enemy relies on them to determine the targets: what to bomb and where to bomb. They follow the Satanic approach.

That is why we say that the Saudi regime’s approach, course of action, and conduct in its aggression against Yemen are in line with the Zionist, Satanic and unjust approach, which is entirely at odds with the values, morals, and teachings of Islam. They are also incompatible with innate human values and even with international norms and laws.

The Saudi regime has adopted this approach and built its military stance upon it. It also trains the military formations affiliated with it on this very basis, making such conduct a fundamental part of their operations. This includes treating prisoners in a brutal, criminal, and despicable manner that has absolutely nothing to do with the teachings, values, or morals of Islam. Nor does it reflect the Yemeni people’s deeply rooted customs, which are grounded in human values fully consistent with human nature and Islamic teachings. Thus, it follows the Zionist approach in its criminal practices, and the descriptions and characteristics set out in the blessed verses of the Holy Quran apply to it. Indeed, it {‘is most fierce in enmity‘}[Al-Baqarah 2:204].

The scenes we witness are heart-rending, as anyone who follows satellite television channels and other media outlets can see for themselves. They show women and children who have been martyred or wounded, along with families whose lives have been shattered by the Saudi regime’s criminality and who have suffered directly from the Saudi aggressor’s crimes.

One such scene shows a Yemeni citizen in Hajjah Governorate, Ali Mohammed Adhali, whose family was targeted and wiped out by the Saudi aggressor. Only one family member of the entire family survived; the rest, including women and children, were martyred. This is one of these deeply painful scenes.

There are such scenes for women and children from Sana’a, Al-Hudaydah, and Taiz, as well as from the other governorates. The Saudi enemy and aggressor continues to commit these crimes, for which there is absolutely no justification. Indeed, these attacks occur even in areas that are nowhere near the front lines, in residential areas inhabited by civilians. The Saudi enemy targets citizens’ homes and kills them inside their own homes.

The Saudi aggressor targets markets in Taiz. It targeted the central market at Mawiyah Junction, and hostile media outlets then came forward to describe the crime of targeting a crowded central market as an attack on ‘Houthi gatherings’. However, these were gatherings of ordinary citizens from various segments of Yemeni society, gathering in a central market, where civilians from all walks of life come together. There is absolutely no justification for targeting such a place. The available documentation clearly shows that it was a market, not a military camp. There is no ambiguity about this whatsoever. In other words, there can be no confusion between houses, residential areas, markets, and front lines. Their locations and nature are well known, as are the areas where clashes take place.

The Saudi enemy, under American supervision and with Israeli and British involvement, deliberately commits the most heinous crimes against our Yemeni people. The situation has reached the point where every day of the year marks the anniversary of a crime committed by the Saudi aggressor against our dear people. The number of children and women martyred in these crimes runs into the thousands. Meanwhile, this brutal, criminal conduct continues unabated.

Hence, it is important to keep disseminating footage documenting these crimes among Muslim communities, through media outlets of all kinds, and also at the humanitarian level. In recent years, such footage has become widely known, to the extent that the Saudi aggressor has been exposed before the peoples of the world for its crimes and for the criminal character that defines its conduct and the course it pursues. This is a matter of great importance.

Why does the Saudi aggressor do this? First and foremost, this shows that—contrary to the image it projects of itself as a representative of Islam and Muslims and claiming the title of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, along with other deceptive titles—it is a criminal that commits crimes repeatedly and is addicted to criminality, as demonstrated by such extensive bloodshed involving innocent people: the killing of children and women. Throughout all these years of its crimes in Yemen, there have been heart-wrenching scenes of children and women being killed, as well as deeply distressing scenes of wounded individuals. These are crimes condemned by unanimous global consensus, among Muslims and non-Muslims alike. The killing of children and women is unquestionably criminal. The innate human conscience, shared by peoples across the world, recognises such acts as criminal and such deeds as crimes.

For this reason, the Saudi aggressor is a criminal, and all our Muslim peoples must view it realistically and see it for what it truly is: a criminal in every sense of the word, a killer of children and women, and a heinous aggressor. They must see through its false religious image and recognise that it uses deceptive religious titles. No matter what titles and labels it gives itself, it exploits them solely to deceive. Those who fall for this deception are the naive and the heedless, those who are far removed from Quranic awareness and from an understanding of the realities of events as they unfold plainly before people. It is those who think critically, reflect carefully, and exercise sound judgement—not those who remain heedless or allow others to manipulate them into accepting such things without question—who can recognise these realities.

This is an important indication that the Saudi regime is criminal and that it follows the Zionist approach. It represents neither Islam nor the Sunnah—neither the Prophetic Sunnah nor Sunnis as a religious community or school of thought. Indeed, it represents no one. Rather, it embodies the criminal, barbaric Zionist approach: one that violates all that is sacred and inviolable, commits aggression against people, and recognises no restraints whatsoever—not Islamic law, divine teachings, the Quran, Hadith, laws, social conventions, or anything else. It disregards all such restraints and commits the most heinous crimes.

Moreover, the crimes it commits carry a grave burden of sin. By the measure of divine justice, the Saudi aggressor is among those criminals whom Allah has threatened with punishment in the Holy Quran. Its fate will therefore be grim, both in this world and in the Hereafter.

Whoever makes criminality, tyranny, and injustice the principal means of dealing with people is pursuing a disastrous course in the light of Allah’s laws and His warnings of punishment. Such a person becomes subject to divine reckoning and punishment in this world and in the Hereafter.

This has been the fate of many tyrants and oppressors throughout history, men who have shed blood without restraint and arrogantly set themselves above others. Relying on their tyranny and the various sources of their power—including international relations, material resources, military capabilities, and the like—they imagined that they had secured their continued existence and guaranteed the fulfilment of their ambitions to dominate and consolidate their control. They believed that they could continue to wield brute force and tyranny to tighten their grip on power and satisfy their pride and arrogance. Yet divine plan unfolds—{‘Allah’s will always prevails‘}[Yusuf 12:21]; {‘and He is powerful over everything‘}—encompassing them as times and circumstances change. They then come crashing down, suffering a dramatic and devastating downfall. How many mighty tyrants, oppressors, and arrogant wrongdoers have met such a fate! Militarily, they possessed immense capabilities and vast armies. Economically and materially, they commanded enormous resources. They also wielded considerable political influence and exercised power across numerous other spheres. Yet when they embarked on a path of injustice, tyranny, and criminality, and their oppression and crimes continued to escalate, divine punishment and reckoning came upon them, striking a decisive blow. Neither their wealth, armies, nor vast resources could avail them against Allah’s will.

Even in our own time, we can recall several tyrannical rulers in the Arab world who followed this same pattern. They commanded vast armies, organised into numerous branches and formations, and possessed enormous capabilities, abundant wealth, powerful economies, and much more besides. Yet ultimately, as their injustice, tyranny, criminality, and bloodshed intensified, they could no longer escape Allah’s grasp, and divine reckoning overtook them. Their immense resources could do nothing to save them. Their story came to an end; their worldly power and influence came to an end. Nevertheless, they passed into the Hereafter laden with grievous sins and dreadful burdens that would condemn them to eternal torment in Hellfire—we seek refuge in Allah. On the Day of Resurrection, they will appear in a wretched state. The Holy Quran contains numerous warnings of punishment for wrongdoers, criminals, and aggressors.

Allah (Glory be to Him) has strongly emphasised the sanctity of human life in the Holy Quran and even in the earlier divinely revealed scriptures. Taking human life is no trivial matter. Killing children and women, wiping out entire families, and targeting communities to kill as many people as possible are of immense gravity in the sight of Allah and cannot be treated lightly under His justice. Allah (Glory be to Him) is the Lord of all worlds, the Lord of all humankind, and the Lord of this universe. Yet some imagine that, having secured American cover for their crimes, they can feel safe, as though nothing could pose a problem or threat to them any longer. They are heedless of Allah; they have forgotten Him. Allah says, {‘Whoever kills a soul unless for a soul or for corruption [done] on the earth—it is as if he had slain mankind entirely‘}[Al-Ma’idah 5:32]. This is precisely what is happening: The Saudi aggressor unjustly kills people, including children and women, and continues to attack our people without justification. The scenes are deeply distressing, particularly those involving children and women; Allah says, {‘and when the girl-child that was buried alive will be asked, for what sin she was killed‘}[At-Takwir 81:8-9]. For what crime, Saudi regime, have you killed thousands of children in Yemen? Why do you continue to kill children and women every day? What have they done to deserve this? Nothing can justify such actions.

This also demonstrates that the Saudi aggressor’s ideological outlook and formative influences are wholly at odds with the values and teachings of Islam. As we have said, its conduct follows the Zionist approach and is marked by callousness and blind hatred. Criminals vary in the extent of their wrongdoing and the cruelty they display. As a result, the Saudi aggressor has amassed a truly appalling record of crimes.

Therefore, when the Saudi aggressor presents itself as a defender of Islam’s holy sites, slanders our people with monstrous falsehoods, and tries to portray its war against the Yemeni people as a battle to protect those holy sites—or as a campaign to defend a particular sect or religious orientation under sectarian or denominational pretexts—it is lying and making false accusations. In reality, it is a criminal, and its crimes expose its true nature. How can a regime that commits such crimes against the Yemeni people every day and relentlessly kills children and women claim to be acting honestly and credibly in the name of an honourable cause, such as protecting the holy sites?

Our Yemeni people are among those most deeply committed to protecting the holy sites. As we have repeatedly emphasised, our people are always prepared to take the lead whenever circumstances require action and whenever the holy sites face threats of any kind.

One of the Saudi aggressor’s criminal aims in committing these atrocities is to break the will of our dear Muslim Yemeni people. It seeks to force them into submission through these actions. But this is a delusion, a mirage, a fundamentally mistaken view, and blindness in every sense of the word.

The more our Yemeni people witness such crimes committed against them, and the more deeply they feel their psychological impact—the grief and pain, the anger and resentment—and the more aware they become of the faith-based, religious, humanitarian, and moral responsibilities arising from these crimes, the more convinced they become of the legitimacy of their position, the justness of their cause, and the clear injustice they have suffered. They become ever more determined to fulfil their sacred responsibility to confront that unjust and oppressive aggressor—the murderer, the criminal, the killer of children and women. This is the reality, and this is the truth.

All these twelve years bear witness to this reality: The more the Saudi aggressor has persisted in shedding blood, killing children and women, committing war crimes, crimes against humanity, acts of genocide, and every other form of atrocity, what has been the reaction of our society? What have their feelings been? Have these been feelings of defeat, humiliation, collapse, and devastation, driving them towards surrender? Or have these courageous and noble people, deeply rooted in faith (the Yemen of faith), become increasingly resentful, indignant, and grieved by these crimes and, as we have said, increasingly driven to fulfil their faith-based, humanitarian, moral, and jihad-related responsibilities, as well as their other responsibilities, including their national responsibility, to confront the unjust, oppressive aggressor—the criminal who kills without justification and sheds the blood of children, women, and society relentlessly? This is precisely what has happened.

When you watch the videos and consider people’s reactions to them, whether those who go to witness the aftermath of the crimes with their own eyes, even immediately after the crimes have been committed, or those who view the footage on television, how do you think they will respond?

When the Saudi aggressor imagines that it will win the war and prevail in this confrontation, and that by committing such crimes it will force our people to surrender, it is deluding itself. This is evident even in terms of the social response within our country. In other words, our armed forces—the army, security forces, and mobilisation forces—are all acting with the utmost seriousness, driven by this faith-based, jihad-related, moral, and humanitarian responsibility, as well as by their other responsibilities. The same applies to the tribes in Yemeni society, with customs and traditions consistent with Islamic values and innate human values. Society becomes angry and deeply resentful, and it has its own customs concerning this kind of crimes: the killing of children and women, the slaughter of people during their social gatherings, and the killing of civilians and unarmed people. Our people therefore have a clear position on these crimes—a position that is also reflected in their tribal and social structures, as well as in the tribal composition of Yemeni society. This is why the Yemeni tribes take a stand against these crimes, deeply outraged by them. They have their own customs regarding such crimes, as well as regarding those who support them, betray their homeland, their people, and their tribe, and align themselves with the Saudi aggressor that perpetrates all these crimes against their own people and against members of their own society and tribes. This is a well-known matter in our country.

The Saudi aggressor has committed crimes on an enormous scale, characterised by criminality, sin, aggression, injustice, and tyranny. It has absolutely no justification for its aggression or its crimes. Since it began its aggression on 26 March 2015, there has been absolutely no justification for these crimes or the aggression as a whole. And it persists in doing so. Therefore, anyone who supports this aggression or becomes entangled in it within the Islamic world—whether a government, a regime, a group, or an organisation—is implicating themselves, in the fullest sense of the word, in sin, aggression, criminality, and injustice, with all the consequences this entails in this world and in the Hereafter, as measured by divine justice and in the reckoning of Allah in both this world and the Hereafter. This is because one of the greatest problems facing our Muslim Ummah is forgetting Allah—forgetting Allah when making such calculations: calculations concerning allegiances, enmities, positions, fighting, war, peace, and other such considerations. The motives, standards, and calculations governing these matters have become something entirely different, far removed from principles, values, morals, and religious, humanitarian, and moral responsibilities. Indeed, they have become wholly incompatible with all of these.

Anyone who entangles himself with the Saudi aggressor, with its appalling record of crimes—killing children and women and committing every kind of crime in our country against our people—brings disgrace upon himself, tarnishes his own reputation, sullies himself, and brings disgrace upon his people and his country. It is deeply disgraceful to stand with a criminal who kills children and women and commits every kind of crime, including war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide, only to become complicit in those very crimes.

Every Muslim country, regime, government, army, and organisation that wishes to take a stand or take action in the Islamic world should lend its support to the oppressed Palestinian people. Their cause is an unmistakably clear Islamic and humanitarian cause, one that admits of no ambiguity whatsoever and whose justice is recognised by peoples throughout the world. The Palestinian people deserve to be supported and stood in solidarity with because they are oppressed, their cause is clear and just, and they need assistance. They are vulnerable and in need of this Ummah to stand alongside them.

What does the Saudi regime lack? Does it lack money? Does it lack military capabilities? Does it lack allies willing to stand by it? It is a partner of America, Britain, and Israel. It operates under the American umbrella and follows the Zionist approach, and it possesses enormous financial and military resources, along with many other capabilities. It does not need you to come to its aid or stand alongside it. Anyone who stands with it implicates himself in sin and aggression.

Consider one of the great and valuable divine teachings addressed to our Muslim Ummah and the believers in the Glorious Book of Allah, the Holy Quran: {‘Cooperate with one another in righteousness and piety, and do not cooperate in sin and transgression‘}[Al-Ma’idah 5:2]. How far removed are so many regimes, groups, and organisations from the divine teaching contained in this blessed Quranic verse! Instead of cooperating in righteousness and piety, they are quick to cooperate in sin in all its forms, including the killing and extermination of children and women, standing alongside their killer. They also cooperate in aggression, such as the aggression against our Yemeni people. The Saudi regime was the one that launched the war against us, unleashing a campaign of aggression marked by assaults, killings, destruction, and bombardment, even though we had done absolutely nothing to provoke it.

When the Saudi aggressor launched its offensive on 26 March 2015, what had the Yemeni people done to provoke it? Were they launching attacks against Saudi Arabia? The Yemeni people, along with the regional and international communities, were taken completely by surprise when the news broke, as there was absolutely no justification for it.

Therefore, whoever involves themselves in this brings deep disgrace upon themselves, their country, and their people, and tarnishes their history and honour. Their history will become a dark one, filled with black pages for partaking in sin, aggression, and crimes. They brand themselves with shame, for it is shameful to side with a criminal and a tyrant who murders women and children and commits horrific and atrocious crimes. They bear the heavy burden of complicity in this injustice, and the blood of the oppressed Muslim Yemeni nation—its children, women, elders, and youth—is on their hands. This is a terrifying burden; do not think for a moment that this is a trivial matter.

Our dear Yemeni people are a Muslim people whose identity is deeply rooted in faith, as the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH&F) said, ‘The belief is that of the Yemenites, and sagacity is that of the Yemenites.‘ They are a people who have endured profound injustice. The oppression inflicted upon them by the Saudi regime is far from ordinary; it is among the most appalling forms of injustice. The suffering and injustice endured by our dear people rank among the gravest in the world. Their plight is one of immense magnitude.

Therefore, anyone who involves themselves with the Saudi aggressor in the war against our people is involving themselves in immense injustice and horrific criminality. This carries extremely severe consequences in both this world and the Hereafter. As we have mentioned, the problem with some individuals is that they base their stances on calculations far removed from the teachings of Allah, the Holy Quran, and the principles of the great religion of Islam. Some are driven by material temptation. They want to milk the Saudi regime and join others who are already benefiting financially from it. Such motivation is satanic. To side with wrongdoing, support oppressors in their injustice, and attack innocent people who have already suffered oppression, simply for financial gain, is both a crime and a betrayal. It means trading Allah’s revelations for a paltry price, turning religion into a means of worldly profit, and sacrificing one’s values, morals, and principles for fleeting material rewards. Yet the Quran warns, {‘Were the wrong-doers to own all that is on the earth, and even twice as much, they would surely seek to ransom themselves with it against the evil punishment on the Day of Judgment‘}[Az-Zumar 39:47]. Another verse speaks of {‘gold‘}[Ali ‘Imran 3:91]. Imagine owning the entire earth and everything it contains, with all of it made of gold. On the Day of Resurrection, you would wish you could surrender it all to save yourself from Allah’s dreadful punishment. How insignificant, then, are the limited financial gains you might obtain in this life—gains that will eventually vanish without making any meaningful difference to your circumstances.

Consider what happened to Omar Al-Bashir, the Sudanese army, and the Janjaweed. At the time, he believed that changing his policies, political positions, and alliances would be useful for him. He sought closer ties with America and its allies, while adopting unjust and hostile positions towards the Yemeni people for no justifiable reason. The Yemeni and Sudanese peoples have long enjoyed warm, brotherly relations rooted in their shared Islamic faith and Arab identity. There was no dispute between us whatsoever. Nevertheless, Al-Bashir aligned himself with the Saudi regime and joined in its hostility towards Yemen. He sought to secure political favour by cultivating ties with those regional proxies of America, the West, and Israel and by supporting their aggression and crimes against our people, despite having no legitimate grounds for such involvement. He deployed Sudanese troops to participate in the assault on Yemen, while Janjaweed forces also entered the conflict without justification. These forces committed appalling crimes in the Yemeni areas they attacked. And what was the outcome? Consider the workings of divine providence. The political calculations, material benefits, and personal interests that had seemed so promising proved to be little more than illusions—hopes that vanished like a mirage in the face of swift divine reckoning. Such were the consequences of profound injustice and severe aggression. Of course, the war now unfolding in Sudan fills us with deep sorrow, particularly because the Sudanese people are bearing the brunt of the suffering. Horrific crimes are being committed by the warring parties, and the tragedy is a source of immense grief and regret. Yet for Omar Al-Bashir, everything he had sought ultimately slipped away. His personal ambitions, political calculations, and expected gains all came to nothing, and those who had once stood with him turned against him. The circumstances surrounding the Sudanese army and the Janjaweed are well known, as is the path they have followed—a path that continues, in many respects, the course they embarked upon from the outset.

When governments and regimes turn into mercenaries fighting for financial gain, allowing their stances to be bought with worldly interests or political rewards—sometimes driven by unjustified malice or deep-seated prejudice—the root problem is always the same: forgetting Allah, the Almighty.

Some might not be driven by financial motives, as they already possess wealth; instead, they are motivated by political calculations and other agendas. In our speech yesterday, we advised the Qataris, who have recently begun to endorse the Saudi aggression politically and in the media against our country. Even this degree of involvement in the war against our nation is complicity in oppression. There is a noble Hadith that states, ‘Whoever participates in the killing of a believer, even with a single word, will come on the Day of Judgement with these words written between his eyes: “Despairing of Allah’s mercy.”‘ This applies even if you merely utter a word in support of killing oppressed believers, women, and children.

Yesterday, we briefly reminded Qatar of what Saudi Arabia had done to it. Today, we wish to continue that advice. We say to the Qataris: Remember those events you lived through firsthand after you militarily participated alongside the Saudi aggressor in the war on our country in 2015. They did not appreciate your support; instead, they turned on you and committed the gravest offences against you:

-They launched a massive political, economic, and media campaign against you.

-They orchestrated a blockade and sought to isolate you entirely, even shutting down your surrounding airspace until Qatar had barely a single corridor left for civil aviation and air transport.

-They enforced an economic and political boycott, relentlessly attacked you in the media, and used military intimidation—facts that are well known and widely remembered.

-Despite your past support, they incited other Gulf states, the Arab world, and the international community against you. They turned the Americans against the Qataris, accusing them of terrorism and supporting terrorism. They even sought to incite Donald Trump against Qatar and worked to persuade him to adopt certain positions towards the Qataris based on these claims.

-Furthermore, they actively campaigned against you diplomatically on the global stage, nearly cutting you off completely from your Arab and Islamic surroundings, which you well remember.

-They even harassed you regarding the Hajj pilgrimage, a painful truth you know all too well.

Why did the Saudis inflict all this upon you? Was there any valid justification? You know as well as we do that it was entirely unprovoked. The truth is, they despise you. Both you and we know they hold you in deep contempt, and their ultimate designs for your country are overwhelmingly sinister. It is an open secret that the Saudis aspire to take control of Qatar, should the opportunity arise and they secure American permission. They are known to harbour this ambition. At the very least, their goal is to engineer a regime change in Doha, installing a puppet Emir—much like the Al Khalifa regime in Bahrain—who would subserviently bow to their every dictate and command. This is a well-known matter.

Under the leadership of Emir Hamad, the State of Qatar made remarkable strides in liberating itself from Saudi hegemony, successfully forging a genuinely independent foreign policy. Whatever its past merits or faults, Qatar’s finest legacy was its commitment to conflict resolution and peacemaking. It championed peace here in Yemen and in numerous other nations. This was a noble endeavour that earned Qatar immense regional and international prestige—a prestige that fuelled deep-seated Saudi jealousy, envy, and burning resentment. How tragic it is, then, to witness Qatar regressing into such subservience to the Saudi regime today and reducing its foreign policy to taking orders via emails and text messages from the Saudi regime telling them what to say, what to do, and which statements to issue. This capitulation is a colossal step backwards, completely undoing the progress and the esteemed standing Qatar once held.

Qatar has absolutely zero justification for its disgraceful decision to provide political and media cover for the war on our country. Yemen has never harmed you. This great Yemeni people—the people who fill the squares, brimming with energy, profound faith, and an authentic heritage—what have they ever done to provoke you? There is not a single issue that justifies your negative stance. Therefore, we offer you this brotherly advice to reconsider your calculations.

Our Yemeni people have a just cause and face a clear injustice; we have right on our side. We are a nation defending our freedom. The Saudi regime wants to strip us of our freedom, seeking to do so under the American, Israeli, and British umbrella. They want to enslave the Yemeni people, control them, and occupy Yemen in order to subjugate it to the Americans, Israelis, and British, acting merely as their proxy in this country. As we said yesterday, they are willing to give away anything in Yemen to the Americans, Israelis, and Zionists, including wealth and strategic locations. They mobilise armed groups to fight in the service of others and will do whatever is asked of them. The Saudi ruler’s grandfather gave away Palestine. The document, written in a Bedouin dialect, is a confirmed historical record in which he completely signed away Palestine to the ‘poor Jews’, as he phrased it, or to whoever else Britain desired. They remain on that same path today, viewing it as an eternal commitment of obedience to Britain, which later expanded to include absolute subservience to America, Israel, and Zionism. They do whatever these powers dictate in Islamic countries, and they are targeting our country, Yemen, for this very reason.

Therefore, when the Saudi regime pursues this goal against our nation and seeks to target our dear people, we—as we have stated—are simply defending our freedom, dignity, land, honour, and religion against an aggression and siege aimed at control, occupation, and enslavement. Thus, any collaboration in this sin and aggression by any Arab or Islamic regime, or any international power like Britain or America, will not secure a victory for the Saudi enemy, nor will it fulfil its hopes. Our people rely upon Allah, the Almighty. We are an authentic nation with an identity deeply rooted in faith and an ancient history; we are not some newly emerged entity with the lifespan of a manufactured product. This is an authentic, great nation with a deeply entrenched faith. It relies on Allah and believes in Him. It holds a strong moral and ethical record, possesses the pride of faith, and human dignity. It will not accept humiliation or enslavement to anyone other than Allah, and it will never submit to tyrants, criminals, and oppressors, no matter what they do.

Therefore, the steadfastness of our people from the very beginning of the aggression—and now we are in its twelfth year—has remained monumental, unwavering, and profoundly rooted. Moreover, our resistance has grown steadily stronger and more effective, as reflected in the development of military capabilities, the conduct of military operations on the ground, and the increasing effectiveness in confronting and resisting the Saudi aggressor.

We can see how much has changed since 2015 and how events have unfolded. By Allah’s grace, and through the fruits of our reliance upon Allah and our trust in Him (the Almighty), our people are now stronger, more effective, and more capable. Their morale remains high and unshaken, for it stems from a spirit of faith and jihad, grounded in deep religious conviction and a commitment to a just cause and what is right. That is why the sons of this nation in the Armed Forces—across the army and security services—and in the mobilisation units backed by Yemen’s tribes, act with such courage and steadfastness. They display the most magnificent and supreme acts of heroism on the battlefield: unmatched resilience, supreme sacrifice, sheer courage, and daring valour. There are documented scenes of these acts of heroism that reveal the depth of this people’s faith in Allah, their trust in Him, their reliance upon Him, and their dedication in His cause, as they stand for their just cause, confronting those criminal oppressors who aggress against them without justification.

The example set by the martyrs is an enduring lesson for generations to come, embodied in their heroism, steadfastness, courage, determination, and patience. Equally significant is the example set by their families, who endure their loss with patience, look to Allah for their reward, and take pride in the sacrifices made for His sake and in upholding what is right. The same applies to the morale of the wounded, the morale of our people as a whole, and the noble role played by Yemeni women, which embodies the values of faith. All of this reveals the truth.

The truth is also demonstrated by the results on the ground. If the Saudi regime were wise enough to see things as they really are, it would have learned a lesson from everything that has happened so far: It cannot achieve its objectives of bringing the Yemeni people under its control. Had events been moving in its favour, the situation would be entirely different. We would be witnessing a collapse in our people’s morale, a weakening of their resolve, a growing inclination towards surrender, and a decline in their capabilities and resources. Yet the reality is quite the opposite.

Today, our people stand in an advanced position in confronting the aggression and responding to it effectively. Our dear people continue to launch strikes to confront the aggression day and night. Fires continue at oil facilities in Saudi Arabia, without pause, day and night, and air-raid sirens sound daily across numerous areas there. On the battlefield, too, the strikes continue without interruption, through missile support for ground operations and attacks on the Saudi aggressor’s troop concentrations.

This high level of effectiveness demonstrates that the Saudi enemy is pursuing a course that is foolish in every sense of the word. Many have urged the Saudis to end their aggression, explaining that there is no need for this war and that they could instead enter into an honourable peace with the Yemeni people—one founded on good neighbourly relations, mutual respect, and the common bonds of their shared Islamic and Arab identity. Yet they have listened to none of this advice, driven by their arrogance, defiance, and criminal disposition—as they are most fierce in enmity.

The enemy has opened a new front at Bab Al-Mandab, stretching across the desert from the outskirts of Lahj governorate to the strait itself. This ground offensive was accompanied by a massive media campaign filled with lies. Some regional channels belonging to certain Arab regimes fell for these fabrications, exaggerating them to a terrible extent and utterly compromising their integrity by peddling such blatant falsehoods. Yet, the truth on the ground quickly exposed their fabrications. The reality is quite simple: They opened a new front in the desert on the outskirts of Lahj Governorate to attack Bab Al-Mandab.

The rage of the Saudi regime—and that of the Zionists, Americans, Western powers, and their allied forces—stems entirely from Yemen asserting its national sovereignty over Bab Al-Mandab. That is the sole cause of their rage. Militarily speaking, during our support for Palestine throughout the Al-Aqsa Flood operation, we were able to hit our targets with missiles from anywhere in Yemen. Indeed, we were able to reach targets in the Red Sea, the Arabian Sea, the Gulf of Aden, and even the Bab Al-Mandab Strait. We can do this from any spot in Yemen. Yet, they are intensely enraged because Yemen has asserted its national sovereignty over its own land, something it is fully entitled to do under international norms. They are therefore seeking to reimpose foreign control and occupy this part of Yemen.

What is particularly striking is the deafening silence among certain countries at both the regional and international levels regarding the actions of the Saudi regime. There has been no international outcry over the Saudi regime turning Bab Al-Mandab into a raging war zone. By the grace of Allah, our armed forces have maintained a strong and effective position in confronting these forces. They have inflicted heavy losses on Saudi troop concentrations, destroying their military vehicles and troop gatherings. Our armed forces have also released footage documenting these operations in the surrounding desert, where missiles, drones, and other weapons have been used to strike the enemy forces. Yet the central issue remains: The Saudi enemy is turning Bab Al-Mandab into a war zone, a battlefield, and a centre of ongoing armed confrontation. This is precisely what threatens the safety of international navigation and poses a serious threat to maritime traffic. When such an area becomes the scene of sustained hostilities, repeated clashes, continuous fighting, and exchanges of fire, international shipping is inevitably put at risk.

Our position, by contrast, remains strong. We are operating on our own soil, within our own geographical and strategic depth, and we have the ability to act at any time and in any direction, with the help of Allah and with victory from Him, the Almighty. By the grace of Allah, as a Yemeni nation, we possess absolute determination and all the necessary elements of strength to remain steadfast and resolute, no matter how long the war lasts or how intense the confrontations become. Furthermore, by the grace of Allah, important military efforts remain underway in Bab Al-Mandab and elsewhere. What is particularly striking, however, is the apparent absence of international concern over these developments.

The longer the Saudi enemy persists in its aggression and blockade, the heavier the losses it suffers. Its losses are already substantial, particularly in oil exports, while its oil facilities continue to face daily strikes that cause extensive damage. Its airbases and military installations are also being struck. Saudi military officers, whether deployed to fight in Yemen or stationed at military camps and bases, are likewise being targeted as part of the Yemeni response to the aggression.

By Allah’s grace, our armed forces are demonstrating operational effectiveness unmatched at any point since the aggression began in 2015. Their operations have been powerful and highly effective, inflicting severe losses on the enemy. Meanwhile, the Yemeni people’s morale remains high, and they stand ready to defend their just cause and resist the aggression. Yemen’s tribes continue to demonstrate steadfastness and commitment, providing sustained support and reinforcements to the armed forces and the front lines. By the grace of Allah, we therefore find ourselves in a strong and favourable position, standing firmly for what is right. This is indeed a great blessing.

As I did yesterday, I once again call on our dear people to gather in enormous numbers this Friday, Allah willing, in Sana’a and across the other governorates, for massive demonstrations:

-To reaffirm our people’s unwavering, faith-driven commitment to supporting the Palestinian people.

-To affirm our people’s stance in defending the Islamic holy sites.

-To call upon our Islamic Ummah to take a clear stance against the conspiracies of the Saudi enemy and the Zionists, who use slander and deception, insulting the Islamic holy sites under the false pretext that the Yemeni people are targeting them.

-To reassert our people’s commitment to their just cause and their determination to resist the aggression and blockade.

To condemn the crimes of the Saudi enemy, which is allied with the Zionists, murders women and children, and targets civilian objects.

Above all, Friday’s demonstrations are intended to reaffirm our unwavering commitment to supporting the Palestinian people—a commitment grounded in principle, morality, faith, and humanity. They are also intended to express our readiness to provide the strongest possible support for the Palestinian people, to the fullest extent of our capabilities, in any future round of escalation, with the help of Allah (the Almighty) and through the most effective options.

Beyond this, the demonstrations are also intended to highlight the injustice suffered by our people and the concerns surrounding the Islamic holy sites of Mecca and Medina. The Saudi enemy has sunk to a disgraceful level through its false accusations and its attempts to exploit this sensitive issue to discredit the Yemeni people. We regard this as a vile and dangerous scheme involving the targeting of Islamic holy sites in collaboration with the Zionists, with the aim of tarnishing our people’s reputation. Such conduct represents the height of moral degradation and one of the gravest affronts to the sanctity of Islamic holy sites.

We ask Allah (Glory be to Him) to grant us success in seeking what pleases Him. O Allah, have mercy on our virtuous martyrs, heal the wounded among us, set free our captives, and grant us victory. You are the Hearer of Prayer!

Peace be upon you and the mercy of Allah and His blessings.