Khamenei: Houthis act alone, Iran needs no proxies
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei dismissed claims that Tehran controls regional groups, stating that Yemen’s Houthis act independently. He asserted that Iran does not need proxies and that resistance groups operate based on their own motivations.
Khamenei criticized the U.S. for labeling these groups as Iranian proxies. “Americans make a big mistake by calling regional resistance centers proxies. What does proxy mean?” he asked. He emphasized that Iran has never initiated conflicts but warned of severe retaliation if provoked.
The U.S. has expanded its military presence in the Middle East since President Donald Trump’s return to the White House. On Monday, Trump held Iran responsible for any Houthi attacks and signaled a tougher stance against Tehran’s influence.
Iran has long aligned with groups under the “Axis of Resistance,” including Hamas, Hezbollah, and Shi’ite armed factions in Iraq. However, Khamenei insisted that each group follows its own agenda. “The Yemeni nation has its own motivation,” he said, reinforcing that Houthis act on domestic concerns, not Iranian orders.
Experts on Yemen support this view, noting that the Houthis expanded control during years of civil war based on local issues. While the U.S. sees Iranian backing as a strategic threat, Tehran maintains that its allies act independently.
Tensions in the region remain high as both Iran and the U.S. continue their power struggle, with Khamenei’s statements challenging Western narratives on Tehran’s role in regional conflicts.
