Trump didn’t know Gen. Soleimani’s blood will make resistance front stronger: Senior Yemeni official

A member of Yemen’s Supreme Political Council has censured the US assassination of Lieutenant General Qassem Soleimani, the commander of the Quds Force of Iran’s Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC), and the second-in-command of Iraqi Popular Mobilization Units (PMU), Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, saying President Donald Trump was not aware of the fact that their blood would rather strengthen the axis of resistance.

“The resistance front would unite from Iran to Palestine in the wake of his crime of assassinating General Soleimani, Muhandis and their comrades. Trump’s ruthless and reckless decisions only increased the steadfastness and determination of the axis of the resistance to fight all forms of US and Zionist occupation,” Mohammed al-Bukhaiti said in an exclusive interview with Lebanon-based al-Ahed news website on Monday.

He added, “Every blow that the axis of resistance receives actually makes it stronger and does not weaken it at all. When the Zionist regime attacked Lebanon (back in the summer 2006), it turned the weakest Arab country into the biggest strategic danger that now threatens its existence.”

Bukhaiti then called on Iraqi people to benefit from the experiences of the Lebanese and Yemeni nations.

The senior Yemeni official highlighted that Washington’s main goal in committing the crime of assassinating General Soleimani, Muhandis was to consolidate its hegemony over Iraq by terrorizing the Iraqi people.

“Thus, the response that is commensurate with the level of this felony will thwart US goals and make Washington regret its actions. Such an answer requires a conscious and harmonious political, popular and military action,” he underlined.

Bukhaiti went on to say that the US did not reap any benefits out of assassinating Secretary General of Lebanon’s Hezbollah resistance movement, Sayyed Abbas al Moussawi, Secretary-General of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad movement Fathi Shaqaqi, co-founder and spiritual leader of Palestinian Hamas movement Sheikh Ahmed Yassin, and Yemeni political leader Hussein Badreddin al-Houthi.

“We must work towards achieving our goal of foiling US scenarios in the (Middle East) region. A fair retribution must be imposed on all aggressors as a result,” he commented.

On Monday, Yemeni Information Minister Dhaifallah al-Shami slammed General Soleimani’s assassination, lauding the top Iranian commander as a key figure in the fight against global terrorism.

Shami said General Soleimani and the second-in-command of Iraq’s Popular Mobilization Units (PMU), Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, who was killed alongside the top Iranian general in a US airstrike in Iraq, represented the entire Muslim world and their loss is tremendous for all Muslims.

“General Qassem Soleimani played a big role in the fight against global terrorism. The blood that is shed in Yemen is part of the blood that is shed in Palestine, Iraq, Syria and Iran,” the Yemeni minister pointed out.

“Yemeni people consider the American crime of assassinating General Soleimani and Muhandis a crime against themselves. Their blood along with that of Saleh Ali al-Samad (the head of Yemen’s Supreme Political Council) will generate thousands of commanders,” Shami said.

Yemenis pay homage to Gen. Soleimani, Muhandis

Also on Tuesday, thousands of people participated in a symbolic funeral ceremony for General Soleimani, Muhandis and his companions in the western Yemeni city of Dhamar.

The participants chanted anti-US slogan, and held up portraits of the top generals. They also denounced the heinous US acts of aggression, and demanded an adequate response to Washington’s arrogance.

 Acting Dhamar Provincial Governor, Mujahid Shaif al-Ansi, for his part, underlined the important role that the axis of resistance plays in opposing US projects in the region, stressing the need for a serious and responsible action to support the resistance front and exterminate the policy of tyranny from the Arab and Muslim world.

He added that Yemeni people, along with freedom-loving nations of the world, are confronting evils and striving to attain freedom and independence.

“The crime of targeted killing of General Soleimani and Muhandis is similar to the crime of assassinating Saleh Ali al-Samad (the head of Yemen’s Supreme Political Council),” Ansi pointed out.

Elsewhere in the northwestern Yemeni city of Hajjah, mourners held a funeral for the two top generals, rejecting US presence and intervention in the region.

They also stressed the need for a strong response to the US assassination iof General Soleimani, Muhandis and their companions and confronting the forces of global arrogance.

The demonstrators said their assassination marks an act of aggression against the entire region, making it imperative for Muslims to confront the enemy that targets anyone without exception.