People gather near burning Israeli and US flags, as supporters of the Houthis rally to denounce air strikes launched by the US and Britain on Houthi targets, in Sanaa, Yemen, Jan. 12, 2024. Photo: REUTERS/Khaled Abdullah

Tens of thousands of Yemenis gathered in several cities on Friday to hear their leaders condemn US and British strikes on their country in response to attacks by Houthi terrorists on Red Sea shipping.

The US and Britain carried out dozens of air strikes on Houthi military targets overnight, widening a wave of regional conflict unleashed by the Israel-Hamas war.

“Your strikes on Yemen are terrorism,” said Mohammed Ali Al-Houthi, a member of the Houthi Supreme Political Council, referring to the United States. “The United States is the Devil.”

After Gaza’s Hamas rulers attacked Israel on Oct. 7, triggering Israel‘s military campaign in Gaza, the Iran-aligned Houthis began attacking shipping lanes and firing drones and missiles towards Israel, saying they would not stop until Israel‘s offensive stopped.

The Houthis, who rule much of Yemen, said they would target all ships heading to Israel, more than 1,000 miles away, and warned international shipping companies against using Israeli ports.

The Houthis are one of several groups in the Iran-aligned “Axis of Resistance” that have been taking aim at Israeli and US targets since their Palestinian ally Hamas killed more than 1,200 people in Israel on Oct. 7. The groups hold the US, Israel‘s closest ally, partly responsible for the crisis and the scope of Israel‘s response.

“We did not attack the shores of America, nor did we move in the American islands, nor did we attack them. Your strikes on our country are terrorism,” said Al-Houthi.

“They are terrorists and they are amazing at lying to the people of the world, but the awareness of the Yemeni people is a different awareness. Do you, Yemeni, think that America is defending itself or is it a terrorist?”

The Iraqi militia group Harakat al-Nujaba, also aligned with Iran, said that American interests and countries allied to the US would not be safe from now on. In Sanaa, protesters stamped on Israeli and American flags.

US and allied forces have been attacked at least 130 times in Iraq and Syria Since Oct. 17, according to Washington.

The United States has no plans to deploy more forces to the region, Pentagon spokesman Patrick Ryder said.