Editor Of Hizbullah-Affiliated Lebanese Daily: The Resistance Axis Has Moved To The Stage of Punitive Attack And Is Prepared For All-Out War; If UAE Does Not Withdraw From Yemen, It Will Face A Harsh Attack

Following the September 14, 2019 Iranian attack on Aramco facilities in Saudi Arabia, Ibrahim Al-Amin, editor of the Hizbullah-affiliated Lebanese Al-Akhbar daily, which is known to support the resistance axis, warned in a September 23 article in the paper that further attacks, against Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and additional targets, are likely.

In his article, Al-Amin outlined the "new strategy" which he says has been adopted by the resistance axis to contend with the enemy led by the U.S., Saudi Arabia, and their allies, especially with respect to the Yemeni arena. The most significant aspect of this strategy, he said, is the transition from the stage of restraint to the stage of punitive attack. According to Al-Amin, the stage of punitive attack is already in effect, and cannot be stopped unless the American enemy and its allies cease their wars against the resistance axis. He also claimed that the resistance axis is willing and able to move to the stage of all-out war if necessary. Stressing that the punitive attack is not limited to a specific period of time or to a specific target, he noted that it may be extended to include all those involved in these wars against the resistance axis. The operation against the Aramco facilities, he said, had revealed only "the tip of the iceberg of the capability of the countries and forces of the resistance axis," and that the punitive attacks will include more painful blows to the aggressive countries. He added that recently the UAE had received a clear and final warning that it must quit the war in Yemen or face an extremely harsh attack.

September 14 attack on Aramco facilities (Source: NBCnews.com, September 17, 2019)

Mocking Saudi Arabia and its allies, which he said had been embarrassed and surprised by the technological and military means which the Houthis have proven that they have at their disposal, Al-Amin warned that the Houthis will, if they have no choice, escalate their response to the point where red lines no longer constrain them.

It should be noted that  in recent days the Houthis have continued to threaten Saudi Arabia and the UAE. Houthi leader Abdul-Malik Badreddin Al-Houthi and Houthi Supreme Political Council chairman Mahdi Al-Mashat announced that if the coalition headed by Saudi Arabia does not cease its aggression against Yemen, the Houthis would step up their attacks.[1] Similarly, in a September 17, 2019 Al-Jazeera interview, Houthi spokesman Muhammad 'Abd Al-Salam warned of an attack on UAE territory. The next day, September 18, Houthi military spokesman Brig. Yahya Saree said that the Houthis have a list of dozens of potential targets in the UAE, and added, addressing the UAE leaders: "Even one single operation will cost you dearly."[2] 

The following are translated excerpts from Al-Amin's article:[3]

"...There is still a lack of clarity with respect to the numerous and important details about the high-quality heroic operation [against] Aramco. In the event that Saudi Arabia does not agree to the Yemeni initiative [announced by the Houthi leader on September 21, under which the Houthis will halt the attacks on Saudi Arabia if it ceases to attack in Yemen[4], this operation will recur, and against additional targets as well...

"How is it possible that the armies of the U.S., Israel, Britain, France, Germany, Egypt, Sudan, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE are not able to reach a conclusion about the manner in which the Aramco operation was carried out...[?] Are we up against idiots or what?

"Put simply, the fact of the matter is that the next challenges facing the U.S. and its gang are not only related to which decision they have to make on the political level and how to deal with the resistance axis, but have more to do with the question of how to deal with the technological, military, security and intelligence elements which the resistance axis has demonstrated that it possesses. It should be noted that what was seen [in the Aramco operation] is but the tip of the iceberg of the capability of the countries and forces of the resistance axis.

"The Resistance Axis Strategy

"In this context, it has become clear that the resistance axis has a new strategy for confronting its enemies – and not in just one arena. With regard to the Yemen arena, the following can be said:

1. The resistance axis decision to move from the stage of strategic restraint to the stage of punitive attack has begun to be put into effect, and it cannot be stopped unless the American enemy and its allies stop the military, security, and economic wars they are waging [against it].

2. This decision accompanies another decision [on the part of the resistance axis] to be completely willing to launch all-out open confrontation if necessary, or if the enemy chooses all-out war...

3. The punitive attack has its own clear and declared aims: to stop the current aggression [on the part of Saudi Arabia and its allies]. When that aim is achieved, the [punitive] attack will end. But if the enemies do not concede [i.e. do not cease their aggression], it means that, without a doubt, there will be  a transition to strategic attack aimed at completely changing the political, military, and even economic status quo.

4. The punitive attack is not limited to a particular time period or to a particular target – it can be extended to include all those involved in these wars against the resistance axis, without exception. This means that those involved in this war must prepare for harsh responses [which will be delivered] when they are required.

5. The punitive attack necessitates [that we] today strike more painful  blows against the countries [carrying out] the direct aggression. It can be said that the [September 14] Aramco operation will seem like a pinch on the ear as opposed to what [the resistance axis] is capable of doing in accordance with [its] specified plan of targets.

6. The UAE was sent an explicit warning by means of a third party and was granted a short, limited extension: Either abandon the current maneuver and begin the process of leaving this coalition [which is attacking Yemen] and of withdrawing from Yemen, from the war and destruction, from the north and from the south, or expect [to receive] your portion of the punitive attack, and it will be a powerful attack...

"With regard to the Yemeni forces' ability to carry out such operations, the great intelligence activity being carried out in Yemen by the countries of aggression... leads their military intelligence teams to a clear conclusion: Inside Yemen, there is unprecedented [Houthi] activity aimed at creating these capabilities [themselves], and it no longer depends [only] on smuggling high-quality weapons from across the border [i.e. from Iran into Yemen]. This is because the aggression axis [i.e. the coalition, led by Saudi Arabia] inspects activities on all the roads leading to the areas under Ansar Allah [i.e. Houthi] control, and in the process uses every imaginable technical, human, and security means, in the air, on land, and on the water. This makes it very difficult for the countries of aggression to understand how Ansar Allah has achieved this level of technical progress that [appears] incompatible with both its military history and Yemen's current capabilities. They [ i.e. the enemies] feel more relaxed [due to their supervision of border crossings, but when there is an attack] they scratch their heads helplessly and scream, 'It was Iran [that carried out the attack!]'

"These [enemies] must know that the Ansar Allah [i.e. Houthi] leadership has perceptions, rules, means of deterrence, and considerations, that [at the moment] limit their military forces' ability to operate in the enemy's highly sensitive places. But these rules will be cancelled later on, when the hour requires the loosening of these [limiting principles]. Then no red lines or anything of the kind will remain."