IRGC vows a ‘stronger’ response to threats, denies role in shaping Yemen policies

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The chief commander of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) vowed on Sunday that Tehran would respond “more forcefully” to any threat. Hossein Salami also denied Iran’s involvement in shaping Yemen’s national policies, a day after the United States launched strikes on Houthi targets in the Arab state.

“The Americans have yet to understand that war cannot solve the problem. Threatening Iran has always resulted in failure, and this should serve as a lesson for everyone," Salami said, according to Iran’s state-owned IRNA news agency. “We warn all enemies that we will confront any threat, and we will have a stronger response,” he added.

Under a 2015 nuclear deal with world powers, Iran agreed to curb its nuclear enrichment program in exchange for much-needed relief from crippling sanctions.

However, the deal began unraveling in 2018 when Trump, during his first term, unilaterally withdrew from the accord and imposed biting sanctions on Iran, which in turn began escalating its nuclear enrichment efforts.

Shortly after his return to the White House, Trump in early February restored his “maximum pressure” policy against Tehran, arguing that it is “too close” to a nuclear weapon. Despite this, the US President expressed openness to negotiate a new deal with Iran, though Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei deemed such negotiations as “unwise.”

On March 7, Trump said in an interview with Fox Business that he had sent a letter to Khamenei, asking that nuclear negotiations be restarted and warning that “if we have to go in militarily, it’s going to be a terrible thing for them [Iran].”

Iran's foreign ministry confirmed the letter’s receipt on Friday, noting that “it is currently under review” and a decision will be made on how to respond after a thorough evaluation, IRNA reported.

Commenting on the renewed US operations in Yemen, Salami on Sunday stated that “Iran has no role in formulating the national or operational policies of any faction within the Resistance Front, including the Ansarullah [widely known as the Houthis],” emphasizing that Iran takes responsibility "for any military operation or support we provide."

In a statement it posted on X, the US Central Command on Saturday announced “a series of operations consisting of precision strikes against Iran-backed Houthi targets across Yemen to defend American interests, deter enemies, and restore freedom of navigation.”.

On the same day, Trump stated that he had ordered the US military to launch a "decisive and powerful" strike against the Houthis, stating that “they have waged an unrelenting campaign of piracy, violence and terrorism against American, and other, ships, aircraft and drones." He added, “We will use overwhelming lethal force until we have achieved our objective."

The latest strikes come after the US State Department announced on Tuesday the designation of the Houthis as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) due to their “activities [which] threaten the security of American civilians and personnel in the Middle East,” as well as “the safety of our [US’s] closest regional partners, and the stability of global maritime trade.”

Ansarullah, a key member of the Iran-led "Axis of Resistance," intensified attacks on Israeli commercial vessels or vessels affiliated with Israel in the Red Sea since October 2023, during the Israel-Hamas War. The Houthis claimed these attacks were intended to alleviate pressure on their Palestinian allies in Gaza.

 

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