Ali al-Imad, head of Yemen’s Central Organization for Control and Auditing and member of the Ansarallah political bureau, told The Cradle in an exclusive interview on 4 March that Sanaa is already in a “declared state of war.”
His comments signal potential intervention from Yemen, at some point, in the ongoing regional war sparked by the US-Israeli aggression on Iran.
“Sanaa considers itself to be in a declared state of war, and the decision to escalate depends on battlefield conditions,” he said when asked about opening a front.
Asked about why Sanaa’s forces have not already entered the fight directly, Imad told The Cradle:
“From the very first day, the leader of Ansarallah, Sayyed Abdul Malik al-Houthi, announced our full readiness for confrontation. We consider ourselves to be in a declared state of war and confrontation, but determining the time and place of engagement is subject to the leadership’s decision and the conditions of the battle. We believe we are one front, and we fight our enemies only within a unified collective path.”
He responded to speculation that Yemen’s position is linked to Gulf states directly entering the war offensively by saying that this “battle is not Arab versus Arab, nor is it between Islamic countries.”
“The confrontation is with the US, with its direct military presence and its roles in the region. We do not link our position to any Gulf decision, and there has been no bilateral communication or offers from those regimes, nor could we accept such things,” he went on to say.
“We consider standing with Iran a religious and national duty because it is on the front line confronting a project that targets the entire region, whether under the banner of ‘Greater Israel’ or the ‘New Middle East.’ We will remain steadfast in supporting the Axis of Resistance in confronting Israel, the US, and some western countries,” he added.
The Cradle also asked the Ansarallah member if the delay in Yemeni military intervention was Sanaa’s decision, or if Yemen was waiting for a decision or request from the Axis of Resistance.
“The path is one, and coordination exists within a unified front. The Yemeni decision is strongly present, but it is part of a broader vision based on acting as one nation confronting a single enemy. Victory can only be achieved through integration and coordination.”
When questioned about Yemen’s red lines, he said, “Our strategy is based on clear phases of escalation. When the enemy crosses certain lines, we move to a new stage.”
“This approach has been tested and proven effective, and it was previously adopted in the support front in support of Gaza.”
After the genocide started in Gaza in 2023, the Ansarallah-led Yemeni Armed Forces (YAF) was among the first groups to intervene militarily – alongside Lebanon’s Hezbollah and Iraqi resistance factions.
The YAF implemented an unprecedented naval blockade on Israel, and began to target vessels linked to Israeli interests or those which were en route to Israeli ports. The operations inflicted a major blow to global shipping and the Israeli economy, while European and US naval deployments failed to deter Sanaa.
Yemen also targeted Washington’s warships, with US officials saying at the time that it was the most intense naval combat since World War II.
US President Donald Trump launched a major war against Yemen in March 2025, killing hundreds of civilians in a massive bombing campaign that failed to prevent the YAF from continuing its operations.
The interview with Imad comes as Iran launches non-stop drone and missile operations against Israeli targets and US bases in the Gulf, in response to the unprovoked war initiated by Washington and Tel Aviv against Tehran days ago.
Iraqi resistance factions have also targeted US bases with drones.
Hezbollah has begun military operations as well and has targeted several Israeli Merkava tanks on the Lebanese southern border.
Joint rocket and missile barrages by Hezbollah and Iran were launched toward Israel on Wednesday for the first time.
source: The Cradle