Senior Houthi Ansar Allah Movement Officials Warn Events In Syria May Spark Chain Reaction In Other Countries, Starting With Iran; Urge Syrian Rebels To Liberate Golan, Jerusalem, And Gaza

The following report is now a complimentary offering from MEMRI's Jihad and Terrorism Threat Monitor (JTTM). For JTTM subscription information, click here.

On December 8, 2024, the Military Operations Command of the Syrian jihadi group Hay'at Tahrir Al-Sham (HTS) and other jihadi and anti-regime militant factions in Syria announced that "the tyrant Bashar Al-Assad" had fled, and the city of Damascus was now "free."[1]

Senior officials from Yemen's Houthi Ansar Allah movement (the Houthis), are urging the rebel forces in Syria to liberate the Golan, Jerusalem, and the Gaza Strip. While the Houthis have always supported the Assad regime, they now stress that their position regarding the rebels was not the result of a narrow anti-Sunni approach, but stemmed from the fact that the rebels' top priority was not the liberation of Gaza, and thus they were serving the interests of the U.S. and of Israel. The Houthi officials also warned of a chain reaction sparked by events in Syria that might harm additional Arab and Islamic countries in the region, starting with Iran.

The following is a review of the responses shared on the X platform by senior Houthi officials following events in Syria on December 7 and 8:

On December 7, 2024, in a message on his X account, Houthi political bureau member Muhammad Al-Farah, declared that former Syrian president Bashar Assad ''was never a Shi'ite'' and that therefore there is no basis for accusations against those (among them, the Houthis) who oppose ''takfiri[2] groups'' (i.e. the Syrian rebel factions) that they are exhibiting a sectarian approach. He stated that his Houthi movement supports Gaza and all who stand with it, and added – in a veiled reference to HTS – that every ''organization for the liberation of Syria,'' for which Gaza is not the top priority, ''is serving [the interests of] the U.S. and Israel and diverting attention and efforts to what is good for the Zionists.''[3]

On December 7, Houthi Shura Council member Abd Al-Salam Jahhaf posted on his X account that ''if Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Egypt, and Jordan think that they will be unscathed by the current events they are all mistaken. After Syria [will come the turn of] Iran; after Iran Saudi Arabia, followed by Egypt and Jordan. Iran will receive blows it cannot even imagine. Its calculations to date have been erroneous and served the interests of the Zionists.'' Jahhaf added that unlike in the countries listed above, ''There are lions in Yemen and mercenaries will not rule there. No one seeks [to control it] and anyone who deludes himself [in this matter] will soon realize [his mistake]. Perhaps Sanaa will even have the opportunity [to prove this] if it makes good use of it.''[4]

Following the fall of the Assad regime and reports on December 8 that the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) was moving into Syrian territory, Houthi Political Bureau and Shura Council member Hezam Al-Asad posted a message on his X account that addressed the rebels in Syria and wrote: ''Many times we heard from you that it was Bashar [Assad] who prevented the liberation of the Golan. And today Israeli forces crossed the Golan toward Quneitra – hasten to engage the enemy and restore to yourselves Quneitra and the Golan, then move on to Jerusalem and Gaza.''[5]

Also on December 8, Houthi Deputy Foreign Minister Hussein Al-Izzi related in a post on his X account to IDF activity on the Golan and wrote that the advancement of Israeli forces toward Quneitra is ''scandalous and a provocation.'' He called on ''the rebel [Muslim] brothers'' in Syria to demonstrate greater courage than former president Bashar Assad, and to immediately rebuff the advancement of ''the enemy.'' Still addressing these ''brothers,'' he declared that neglecting this issue ''will bring disgrace upon your revolution and is likely to become a curse that will crush the groups of the Muslim brothers in every country and people.''[6]