Following the launch of Operation Prosperity Guardian, a U.S. naval coalition tasked with safeguarding international shipping routes in the Red Sea, Telegram channels supportive of and affiliated with Iran-backed militias in Iraq have been distributing graphics and posters online glorifying Yemen's Houthi Ansar Allah movement's attacks on vessels in the Red Sea, and promising defeat of the U.S.-led naval coalition.
"Yemen Is the Graveyard of Invaders"
On January 15, 2024, a Telegram channel in Arabic linked to an Iran-backed group shared a cartoon by satirist Muhammad Saeed in the pro-Houthi Al-Masirah media outlet. The cartoon depicts Uncle Sam as a green demon symbolizing the U.S., the British flag on his hat, and the Star of David on the back of his cloak, stabbed by a dagger bearing the flags of Yemen and Palestine, as the figure seeks to invade Yemen.
"The Dagger of Heros"
On the same day, the channel distributed another poster online promoting the Houthis' attacks on ships in the Red Sea. The poster shows a dagger sinking a vessel beneath air strikes. Titled, "The Dagger of Heroes," the poster was accompanied by this Arabic text: "These are among the ways of life created by Allah Almighty, Who sank the Pharaohs in the depth of the seas."
In a similar vein, a Telegram channel shared a poster showing the Yemeni flag flying over a fleet of vessels on fire. The image suggests Yemen will eventually prevail in its war against the naval coalition.
"The Promised Conquest"
On January 16, 2024, a Telegram channel released another poster titled, "Promised Conquest" and promoting the hashtag #Battle_Of_Promised_Conquest. It shows what it envisions as the end of the war: the defeat of Israel and the U.S. on the sandy shores of Yemen. It shows a dagger that cuts through worn U.S. and Israeli flags to form a map of Israel and the achievement of the "promised conquest" to liberate Palestine. The poster was accompanied by Arabic text quoting the "leader of the Islamic revolution" praising the Yemeni people and the Houthi-led government for setting an "example of jihad for the sake of Allah." The message beseeches Allah to ensure that these efforts "will continue until victory is achieved."
"We Will Be Lying In Wait For You, Always"
Earlier, on January 13, 2024, a Telegram channel released a poster showing Israeli vessels caught in a hurricane shaped in the form of a Yemeni dagger, along with a threat: "We will be lying in wait for you, always."
"We Will Burn The Region"
On January 12, 2024, a Telegram channel that supports Iran-backed Iraqi militias, released a poster depicting a cargo ship with a traditional Yemeni dagger superimposed on it. The poster is captioned: "We will burn the region."
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