SANAA — Abdul Malik Al Houthi, leader of Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi movement, warned on Thursday of a "military response" should the Middle East war require it.

 

The Houthis, a key part of Iran's so-called "axis of resistance", have so far refrained from joining the war sparked by US-Israeli strikes on Iran, and which has engulfed much of the region.

 

"As the people of Yemen, we repay loyalty with loyalty," the Houthi leader said. "Any development in the battle that requires a military response, we will promptly undertake it... just as we did in previous rounds."