IRGC Quds Force Chief Says Riyadh May Lift Yemen Blockade and Back Palestinian Cause

According to Saednews, Brigadier General Esmaeil Qa’ani has called on Saudi Arabia to end its blockade of Yemen, urging the kingdom to learn from what he described as the costly consequences of U.S. policies. In a statement issued on Saturday, the commander of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Quds Force said the blockade against Yemen, a Muslim nation with a population of more than 38 million, should come to an end.

Qa’ani stated that the Muslim world expects Saudi Arabia, as the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, to use its influence and resources to support the Palestinian people and respond to Israeli military actions rather than maintain pressure on Yemen.

He added that standing with Palestinians in the Gaza Strip is a source of honor, while continuing the blockade against Yemen does not serve the interests of the Muslim world. According to Qa’ani, efforts should focus on assisting civilians affected by the conflict in Gaza instead of prolonging restrictions on Yemen.

The Saudi-led coalition launched military operations and imposed a blockade on Yemen on March 26, 2015. The campaign received military, political, and logistical backing from the United States and several Western countries. Over the years, the conflict has caused widespread humanitarian suffering and resulted in the deaths of tens of thousands of people.

Despite years of military operations, the coalition has not achieved its stated objective of restoring Yemen’s former internationally recognized government.

Following a United Nations-mediated ceasefire in 2022, the United States, the United Kingdom, and Israel carried out multiple strikes against targets in Yemen. The operations were aimed at reducing the capabilities of Yemeni forces that had launched attacks against Israeli-linked targets, describing those actions as support for Palestinians during the ongoing conflict in Gaza.