ROME, February 5. /TASS/. If the US launches a ground operation in Yemen, it may encounter a more difficult situation than during the protracted conflicts in Afghanistan and Vietnam, Mohammed Ali al-Houthi, a high-ranking representative of the Yemen-based rebel Houthi movement Ansar Allah, said in an interview with Italy’s La Repubblica newspaper.

"A ground war is what the people of Yemen wish for because they can finally fight those responsible for their suffering over the course of nine years. If the US sends troops to Yemen, it will encounter a situation more difficult than in Afghanistan and Vietnam. We are ready for various options of strategically defeating the Americans in the region," he said.

The Houthi official added that there is no direct communication with the Americans despite the fact that the US side attempted to interact, explaining that all interaction is being handled by a team of mediators in Oman.

Al-Houthi gave assurances that the Houthi movement does not intend to block the Red Sea and Bab el-Mandeb Strait. "Vessels unrelated to Israel won’t be harmed," he noted. He also cautioned Italy that it may become a target if it participates in aggression against Yemen. "We advise Italy to stay neutral; this is the least it can do," he added.

After the escalation of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict in the Gaza Strip, the Houthis warned that they would launch strikes on Israeli territory while barring ships associated with the Jewish state from passing through the waters of the Red Sea and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait until Tel Aviv ceased its military operation against Palestinian radical group Hamas in the embattled enclave. Since last November, the Houthis have attacked dozens of civilian vessels in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden.