Houthis 'prepared' for long confrontation with West

Yemen's Houthi movement says it is ready for a long-term conflict with the US despite Washington intervening militarily to stop its blockade of Israel-linked maritime traffic into the Red Sea.

Mohamed al-Atifi, the commander of the movement's armed forces, doubled down on his group's stance in comments reported by the Reuters news agency.

"We are prepared for a long-term confrontation with the forces of tyranny. The Americans, the British, and those who coordinated with them must realise the power of the sovereign Yemeni decision and that there is no debate or dispute over it," he said.

Many shipping companies have stopped moving through Yemen's Bab al-Mandab strait, which connects the Red Sea to the Indian Ocean.