Brigadier General Majid Mousavi, Commander of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) Aerospace Force (image from archive).

The Aerospace Force of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) warns that if Iran’s southern neighbors aid potential American attacks against the Islamic Republic, the country’s retaliation will rob them of the capacity to continue producing oil.

“And let the southern neighbors know: If their territory and resources are used by the United States to attack the Iranian nation, they must bid farewell to oil production in West Asia,” Brigadier General Seyyed Majid Mousavi, the force’s commander, said on Tuesday.

He reminded that even during the period of “military silence,” the force has remained vigilant, eyes wide open and hands on the trigger, ready to defend this ancient land and its civilization spanning thousands of years.

The comments came in the context of a two-week lull that was announced by US President Donald Trump on April 7 following at least 100 waves of successful and decisive retaliatory strikes against the US’s and the Israeli regime’s latest bout of unprovoked aggression targeting the country.

The reprisal delivered severe blows to sensitive and strategic American and Israeli targets across the region, including those lying in the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait, Jordan, and Saudi Arabia.

Also on Tuesday, Iran’s highest operational command unit said the Islamic Republic’s Armed Forces enjoy the upper hand in the face of the adversaries, and, therefore, do not let US President Donald Trump misrepresent the conditions governing the battlefield.

The remarks by Major General Ali Abdollahi, commander of Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, came after successive claims made by Trump concerning the state of affairs in the strategic waterway following his announcement of a short-term ceasefire.

The claims saw Trump take to his Truth Social platform, alleging that Iran had “agreed to never close the Strait of Hormuz again.” He also claimed that the United States’ “naval blockade will remain in full force and effect as it pertains to Iran, only, until such time as our transaction with Iran is 100% complete.” Trump additionally said that ceasefire negotiations “should go very quickly in that most of the points are already negotiated.”

Iranian officials have, however, categorically dismissed all such claims. The Islamic Republic even moved swiftly to close the chokehold to all traffic after Trump announced continuation of the blockade. Tehran has also refused to rejoin negotiations with Washington as long as the latter would not abandon its pressure tactics.

Source: Press tv

In a statement, the rights group noted that the planned protests are a response to rising fuel costs and their worsening impact on households and the wider economy.

The organisation reminded the National Police Service (NPS) that the Constitution guarantees the right to peaceful assembly under Article 37, stressing that police are obligated to facilitate not restrict demonstrations.

"The Constitution of Kenya guarantees every person the right to assemble, demonstrate, picket, and present petitions peacefully and unarmed. The police bear a primary responsibility to facilitate and protect this right, not suppress it.," the statement read.

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Amnesty said protest notifications are meant for coordination of public safety, not for seeking permission from authorities.

The organisation also cautioned police against the use of excessive force, citing past protests in which it documented cases of brutality, arbitrary arrests, harassment of journalists, and obstruction of medical personnel.

It warned that officers and commanders could be held personally liable for violations of constitutional and international human rights standards.

"Individual officers and their commanders may be held personally and criminally liable for violations of human rights, the Constitution, and Kenyan law," the human rights group said.

Amnesty further pointed to a recent High Court decision in Kisumu, which declared the use of live ammunition against unarmed civilians during protests unlawful and unconstitutional.

The court, it noted, condemned instances where civilians were shot in their homes, on streets, or while fleeing, describing such incidents as a "grave failure of policing" and a violation of life and dignity.

Against this backdrop, Amnesty issued a series of operational recommendations to police ahead of the demonstrations.

The group called on officers to ensure full facilitation of peaceful protests, warning against arrests or intimidation of demonstrators who are lawfully exercising their rights.

It further emphasised strict command responsibility, insisting that senior officers will be held accountable for misconduct by personnel under their supervision.

"All officers must be clearly identifiable, with uniforms, name tags, and service numbers visible at all times," the advisory stated.

On use of force, Amnesty stressed that it must remain a last resort and strictly adhere to necessity and proportionality principles.

"The use of live ammunition, rubber bullets, tear gas, or water cannons against peaceful protesters is prohibited," it said, adding that de-escalation and dialogue should be prioritised.

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The organisation also urged protection of journalists, warning against interference with media operations, internet access, or live broadcasts during the protests.

"Any shutdown or disruption of media would amount to unlawful restrictions on freedom of expression and access to information," it warned.

Health workers, human rights observers, and other neutral actors, it added, must be guaranteed safe passage and protection at all times.

Amnesty also urged police to distinguish between peaceful demonstrators and individuals involved in isolated criminal acts, cautioning against collective punishment.

It further underscored legal safeguards for arrested persons, including timely access to legal counsel and appearance in court within 24 hours.

"All arrests must be lawful, targeted, and based on individual responsibility," the statement said.

The rights body also called for immediate reporting of any deaths or serious injuries to the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) and full cooperation with oversight institutions.

"Public order and human rights are not mutually exclusive," the organisation concluded. "There must be no further loss of life, no excessive use of force, and no suppression of media freedom during the exercise of the right to peaceful protest."

The price of E5RON92 biofuel is capped at 21,934 VND (0.83 USD) per litre, down 658 VND per litre from the previous level, while RON95-III gasoline now costs no more than 23,042 VND per litre, a decrease of 719 VND per litre.

Retail fuel prices in Viet Nam were sharply reduced from 16:00 on April 21 following the latest adjustment by the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT) and the Ministry of Finance.

Accordingly, the price of E5RON92 biofuel is capped at 21,934 VND (0.83 USD) per litre, down 658 VND per litre from the previous level, while RON95-III gasoline now costs no more than 23,042 VND per litre, a decrease of 719 VND per litre.

The price of diesel 0.05S was reduced significantly to a maximum of 27,856 VND per litre, down 3,185 VND, while 180CST 3.5S mazut oil is capped at 19,631 VND per kilogram, a drop of 701 VND.

In this price management period, the authorities decided to allocate funds to the Petroleum Price Stabilisation Fund at 200 VND per litre for biofuel, 400 VND per litre for gasoline, and 600 VND per litre or kilogram for diesel and mazut oil. However, they opted not to disburse the funds for any petroleum products

Viet Nam’s fuel prices remain lower than those in several neighbouring countries, including Thailand, Cambodia, Laos and China, according to the MoIT.

VNA

Vietnam has called on China to help maintain stable jet fuel supplies for its airlines as ongoing tensions in the Middle East continue to disrupt global energy supply chains.

 ![vietnam seeks stable jet fuel supplies from china amid middle east disruptions picture 1](https://media.vov.vn/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/2026-04/Screenshot%202026-04-19%20at%2017.29.57.png.jpg "vietnam seeks stable jet fuel supplies from china amid middle east disruptions picture 1")

Aircraft at Noi Bai International Airport in Hanoi. (Photo: VNA)

Director of the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam (CAAV) Uong Viet Dung has sent a letter to Song Zhiyong, head of the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC), regarding the issue.

The move follows high-level exchanges between the two countries, particularly the recent state visit to China by General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee and State President To Lam, which reaffirmed the importance of comprehensive bilateral cooperation across sectors.

According to Dung, the crisis in the Middle East has caused significant disruptions to global and regional oil supply chains, adversely affecting airline operations due to jet fuel shortages. Vietnamese carriers are also facing similar challenges.

On the basis of the long-standing friendship and cooperation between the two nations, as well as close ties between their aviation authorities, the CAAV has asked the CAAC to direct relevant fuel suppliers to ensure sufficient and stable supplies for Vietnam.

These suppliers include Sinopec, PetroChina, and China National Offshore Oil Corporation, which are key players in providing aviation fuel to Vietnamese importers under existing contracts.

The Vietnamese aviation authority expressed hope that support from the CAAC and Chinese fuel providers will help local airlines maintain stable operations on routes between the two countries, thereby meeting growing travel demand and facilitating people-to-people exchanges.

Mời quý độc giả theo dõi VOV.VN trên

Hezbollah Military Media issued on Tuesday a statement which announced that the Islamic Resistance fighters responded to the Israeli violations of the ceasefire by striking an artillery bunker of the “Israeli” enemy army in Kfar Giladi settlement with a rocket barrage and a swarm of loitering drones.

What follows is the text of the statement:

In defense of Lebanon and its people, and in response to the blatant and documented violations committed by the “Israeli” enemy, which have exceeded 200 breaches since the ceasefire came into effect and included attacks on civilians and the destruction of their homes and villages in southern Lebanon, and based on the right to resist occupation and expel it, the Islamic Resistance fighters targeted at 18:50 on Tuesday 21-04-2026 an artillery bunker of the “Israeli” enemy army in Kfar Giladi settlement—the source of the latest artillery shelling toward Yohmor Al-Shaqif town—with a rocket barrage and a swarm of loitering drones.

Israeli occupation forces have escalated violations of the ceasefire in southern Lebanon on Tuesday, carrying out sustained demolition operations aimed at destroying civilian infrastructure in the southern border villages, amid artillery shelling and continuous aerial surveillance.

Destruction after Israeli occupation forces carried out demolition operations in the southern Lebanese town of Rshaf (April 21, 2026).

Source: Al-Manar English Website

By Ivan Kesic

Iran not only survived the heaviest bombardment of its civilian infrastructure in modern history during the 40-day war of aggression imposed by the US-Israeli alliance but also achieved the rare engineering feat of restoring six major railway bridges and dozens of critical transport links in under 96 hours.

One key span near Qom reopened in less than 40 minutes, effectively neutralizing the enemy's key strategy of paralyzing the nation through economic strangulation.

The ceasefire that took effect on April 8, 2026, after more than five weeks of sustained aggression, did not come a moment too soon for civilians.

But for Iran's engineering corps, it came just in time to showcase a level of infrastructure resilience and readiness unmatched in modern military history.

While enemy war planners had explicitly targeted the country's railway bridges, freeway overpasses, power substations, and even civilian airports to break supply chains and demoralize the population, the response from Tehran's domestic engineering team fundamentally rewrote the rules of modern warfare.

Rather than crippling Iran, the aggression has demonstrated that the Islamic Republic can rebuild its most vital arteries faster than foreign adversaries can destroy them.

Enemy’s calculated assault on civilian nerves

The joint US-Israeli aggression, which commenced on February 28, 2026, deliberately expanded in its later stages from military installations to what Pentagon strategists had openly called the “logistical nervous system” of the Iranian nation.

During the final weeks of the nearly 40-day war, American and Zionist warplanes struck at least ten railway lines and associated bridge structures across multiple provinces, including Tehran, Alborz, Qom, Isfahan, Zanjan, and East Azerbaijan.

The targeting pattern was unmistakably strategic: railway bridges near Qom, the Yahya Abad bridge in Kashan, the arched bridge in Zanjan, the Hashtrud railway bridge, the Karaj railway bridge in Alborz Province, and the Charbagh railway bridge were all hit in a coordinated campaign to sever north-south corridors, disconnect Tehran from the northwestern border with Turkey, and isolate the holy city of Mashhad from the capital.

US President Donald Trump had repeatedly threatened to bomb bridges and power plants to send Iran “back to the Stone Age,” while Israeli regime officials framed the strikes as necessary to disrupt what they claimed was a “weapons movement.”

Yet, what the aggressors failed to account for was the Islamic Republic’s three-decade-long investment in domestic engineering self-sufficiency.

As documented by Iranian media and verified through on-site footage, the strikes did not achieve operational paralysis.

Instead, they triggered an immediate, coordinated response from specialized railway engineering units that had been pre-positioned for precisely such a contingency.

Six bridges, one doctrine: The architecture of lightning restoration

According to the most recent verified reporting, six railway bridges or segments were confirmed as damaged and subsequently fully reconstructed after the April strikes.

These include:

• The Yahya Abad railway bridge near Kashan in Isfahan province, a critical multi-span reinforced concrete structure on the north-south corridor linking Tehran to Bandar Abbas city in southern Iran.
• The regional railway bridge in Qom, south of the capital Tehran, a vital junction for southern freight routes.
• Zanjan-Mianeh railway bridge in northwestern Iran, part of the Tehran-Tabriz-Turkey international corridor.
• Karaj railway bridge in Alborz province, one of the busiest chokepoints on the Tehran-Tabriz line.
• The Tehran-Mashhad line bridge segment in the Qaleh Now area, which carries Iran’s highest volume of passenger traffic.
• Charbagh bridge in Alborz Province, a secondary but strategically redundant structure west of Tehran.

The reconstruction timelines defied all conventional engineering expectations.

The major seven-span railway bridge near Qom was fully restored and reopened in under 40 hours, according to Khosrow Samari, deputy governor of Qom province.

The Yahya Abad bridge in Kashan saw the first train crossing after just 72 hours of intensive work, with video evidence captured by Iranian media showing a locomotive rolling smoothly across the newly rebuilt span.

The Charbagh railway bridge followed suit, returning to full service in the same 72-hour window.

Across all six identified damage points, services resumed in less than 96 hours overall, with some individual segments operational in under 40 hours. 

The Tehran-Tabriz-Van train to Turkey left Tehran on rebuilt tracks within four to five days of the strikes, using restored infrastructure.

Iranian engineers rapidly restored key rail links between Tehran, Tabriz, and Mashhad after civilian transport infrastructure was destroyed in Israeli–American strikes earlier this month. Services returned within a four-to-five-day window. pic.twitter.com/QPmTjWYdte

— Press TV 🔻 (@PressTV) April 13, 2026

Russia has lifted restrictions on flights over Iranian airspace and resumed overflights, Russia’s Federal Air Transport Agency (Rosaviatsiya) said on Monday, reversing measures that had been in place since late February amid heightened regional tensions.

The agency also withdrew its recommendation to Russian airlines to suspend ticket sales for flights to and from the United Arab Emirates.

Rosaviatsiya also said in a statement that it has lifted restrictions on Russian airlines’ flights through Iranian airspace.

Transit flights and flights to Iranian airports may proceed provided they strictly adhere to all recommendations from Iranian aviation authorities, the statement added.

The airspace of several Western Asian countries was closed in late February amid an escalation of conflicts in the region, including a US-Israeli aggression against the Iranian territory.

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[English]

The imperialist US has ignited the war in Iran, which immediately escalated into a broader war in West Asia. The conflict in West Asia, in turn, is accelerating the outbreak of war in East Asia, marking the full-scale escalation of World War 3.

The Trump faction has now become principal war criminals who have hastened the full-scale arrival of World War 3 through imperialist wars of aggression. The US chauvinists are now exposed as unprecedented fascists, surpassing even the globalists in their infamy.

The war in East Asia would further catalyze the war in Eastern Europe, and the Central American theater would be no exception. West Asia, East Asia, Eastern Europe, and Central America have become the primary battlegrounds of World War 3—the frontlines of national and class liberation where the anti-imperialist camp and the imperialist camp confront each other.

The imperialist camp is committing a fatal error by opening multiple theaters simultaneously while failing to secure a victory in even a single one. Their “New Cold War” stratagem, plotted through the lens of World War 3, is already being thwarted by the overwhelming offensive of the anti-imperialist forces.

The Trump administration is currently mired in severe political and economic crises. As a consequence of the “tariff wars,” inflation has skyrocketed, causing public opinion to deteriorate sharply. The forced deportation of Latinos and other immigrants, combined with the outbreak of “Minneapolis incidents,” has further soured public sentiment. With the US Supreme Court ruling the tariffs illegal, the Trump administration’s trade policy has hit a major deadlock. To make matters worse, the “Epstein Files” scandal—which allegedly implicates not only Trump but also Melania—has stripped the administration of its remaining moral authority and perceived legitimacy. As a result, the ruling Republican Party has suffered crushing defeats in every election held since Trump’s inauguration. Most notably, they lost in Texas—a state where they won by a landslide in the last presidential election—and even in the MAGA stronghold of Georgia, the Democratic candidate managed to secure first place in the initial round of voting.

The Trump administration has committed a fatal strategic blunder by instigating the war in Iran and West Asia—and further driving the push toward conflict in East Asia—thereby overturning the very “Western Hemisphere-First” strategy specified in NSS 2025 (Nov. 2025) and NDS 2026 (Jan. 2026). Even within the US, condemnations are pouring in, labeling the Iran war as “a war for Israel, not for America.” Even Tucker Carlson, a journalist who has long supported Trump, denounced the war in Iran as an “absolutely disgusting and evil” decision. The film “Wag the Dog” is becoming a literal reality.

Despite taking the risk of reversing his own policy framework, Trump—far from burying unfavorable political and economic issues—is facing a deepening crisis of governance amidst record-low initial approval ratings for the war. In Iran, a hardline supreme leader with “Imam-level” authority has emerged. Furthermore, oil prices, which once soared to $120, are on a trajectory to surpass $150 and potentially reach $200. In a state of hyperinflation, the US will have no choice but to hike interest rates, which could trigger a stock market crash and push the US economy to the brink. Consequently, the Trump faction and the Republican Party are guaranteed a total defeat in the November midterm elections, leading to an immediate “lame duck” status. The war in Iran, initiated to evade crisis, has instead become the fatal blow that amplifies it.

Until recently, US chauvinists had opposed the war in Ukraine and the Palestinian-centered conflict in West Asia. More precisely, their stance was not “anti-war” but “war avoidance.” This was not based on a pacifist ideology, but on the pragmatic assessment that such wars are unwinnable and incur catastrophic loss of life and property. Yet, they have now overturned even this position by launching the war in Iran. Unlike the globalists, who waged indirect proxy wars through Ukrainian neo-Nazis and Israeli Zionists, this is a direct war with the US at the forefront. It is no longer a localized conflict centered on Palestine, but a full-scale war encompassing the entire West Asian theater.

The maximum expression of fascist policy is war against foreign nations, while its minimum level is the persecution of foreigners and immigrants. Until recently, US chauvinists had confined themselves to the minimum level—persecuting immigrants—thereby evading accusations of being a warmongering force. However, the situation has completely changed. If the US globalists were condemned as fascists for waging proxy and localized wars, then the chauvinists—who are now conducting even more extreme direct and full-scale wars—deserve to be denounced as fascists who surpass the globalists. The US chauvinists have opened the gates of hell with their own hands.

Zionist capital (Zionist transnational capital), the core force of the imperialist camp, encompasses and controls both the globalists and the chauvinists through a “seesaw system.” By funding the election campaigns of US chauvinist forces and strategically placing its henchmen within the chauvinist government, Zionist capital enforces imperialist war policies through extensive lobbying and public opinion manipulation. In the US system of state-monopoly capitalism, the monopoly capital that dictates national policy is Zionist capital, and the bureaucrats who execute it are the Deep State. Within the Trump administration, the anti-Deep State elements are weak, while the Deep State forces controlled by Zionist capital are driving the war in Iran with overwhelming momentum. It is no coincidence that officials of the anti-Deep State faction, such as the Director of the National Counterterrorism Center, have resigned in succession in opposition to the Iran war.

Trump’s dilemma left him with no choice but to carry out the war in Iran as planned by Zionist capital, and the world is now witnessing a domino effect of war as the conflict spreads to West Asia, East Asia, and Eastern Europe. The cunning of Zionist capital is starkly revealed in its decisive push for a full-scale escalation of World War 3 by utilizing the US chauvinists, who had previously opposed such a global conflict. Netanyahu’s notorious “40-year long-cherished desire”—a war against Iran—has been realized through the foolish chauvinist, Trump. The war in Iran is an imperialist war of aggression initiated by the chauvinist US government, instigated by Zionist Israel under the manipulation of Zionist capital.

The war criminals responsible for the war in West Asia are clearly the imperialist United States. The Trump administration—a chauvinist and imperialist government—is responsible for launching the wars in Iran and broader West Asia. If the war in West Asia escalates into a full-scale phase, it will inevitably lead to a war in East Asia. That East Asian war would mark the full-scale escalation of World War 3, making the Trump administration criminally responsible for it.

Position Assessment #

With the announcement of a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah, the Islamic Republic has established new rules of engagement within the framework of the "Unity of Arenas," which the United States was compelled to accept as a fait accompli. This is likely to expand the scope of hope for a second round of negotiations between Iran and the United States and the possibility of achieving a breakthrough regarding the declared points of contention, to which each party adheres and views as immutable principles that cannot be compromised or conceded. Yemen views the "Unity of Arenas" as one of the most significant gains emerging from this round of major confrontation with America and Israel, particularly since it has put an end to the comprehensive violation that Israel sought to entrench in Lebanon, Palestine, and Syria, and has restored some balance of deterrence. The continuation of this balance would allow the Palestinian resistance to recover and prevent the unilateral determination of Gaza's fate and the implementation of Trump's agenda concerning the so-called peace plan. Yemen—which entered the latest battle in a gradual manner—still retains the "Bab el-Mandeb" card, which is parallel in importance to the Strait of Hormuz card. This is why all eyes have been watching the Yemeni position and its developments throughout the days of this confrontation, and observing how America and Israel diligently sought to avoid provoking Sana'a lest it escalate the tempo in a volatile region that grows more inflamed with every fiery statement from here or there.

In this paper, we review the Yemeni position on the Unity of Arenas, the gains that can be built upon, as well as the challenges that must be addressed now and in the future, and an assessment of the situation in light of potential variables related to the outcomes of the American-Israeli war on Iran and its military and negotiating trajectory.

1- The Faltering Truce on the Lebanese Front:

Lebanon and the other fronts were included in the ten-point list presented by Iran, in light of which President Trump announced a ceasefire on April 8th. However, Israel obstructed the implementation of the agreement and escalated its attacks on Lebanon hysterically, committing deliberate war crimes against civilians and civilian objects, which put the agreement to a rapid test. While Tehran affirmed that the ceasefire encompassed all fronts, including the Lebanese front, Washington equivocated in its verbal statements and pushed a scenario based on separating the fronts, aided by the Lebanese government's willingness to engage in direct negotiations with Israel despite Hezbollah's rejection.

Nevertheless, the Pakistani mediator who hosted the Islamabad negotiations was clear regarding the understandings concerning the inclusion of all fronts in the ceasefire agreement. This helped the Iranian negotiator adhere to this negotiating principle, which was among his pressing conditions regarding the opening of the Strait of Hormuz to international navigation—Iran's most important winning card in this decisive round of military confrontation that lasted nearly forty days.

And when the White House tried to promote the announcement of the ceasefire in Lebanon as a personal victory for President Trump, the Iranian side preempted this by responding through the Speaker of the Consultative Council, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, who held a phone call with his Lebanese counterpart Nabih Berri, during which they affirmed that the ceasefire must include Lebanon "before any other matter." Ghalibaf wrote in a post on the (X) platform: "The completion and consolidation of a comprehensive ceasefire in Lebanon will be the result of the steadfastness, struggle, and heroism of dear Hezbollah and the unity of the Axis of Resistance, and the United States must adhere to the agreement." He added, "The Resistance and Iran are one entity, whether in war or in ceasefire," and that "America must retreat from Israel's mistake first."

Ultimately, Iran's explicit adherence to its principled stance—based on considering the ceasefire in Lebanon a fundamental condition for any progress in negotiations with the American side and a starting point for the second round of talks—led in the end to Trump's capitulation and his announcement on behalf of Israel of the commencement of the ceasefire on April 17th.

2- The Origin of the Term and Resistance Developments on the Ground:

Since after the Battle of the Sword of Jerusalem in 2021, which was fought by various Palestinian resistance factions and encompassed Gaza, the West Bank, and areas of the so-called '48 Arabs, the idea of uniting the resistance fronts crystallized first at the internal Palestinian level, and then at the regional level. The term itself appeared in the "Unity of Arenas" battle in 2022, which was confined to the Islamic Jihad Movement in Gaza. It was as if the Palestinian resistance fighter wanted to say at the time: Unity of Arenas is a future aspiration more than a real equation on the ground.

The Secretary-General of the Islamic Jihad Movement, Ziyad al-Nakhalah, went further when he indicated that the Unity of Arenas at the Palestinian level is not limited to resistance factions but may include youth from Fatah and the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades. He also said: Unity of Arenas also means the unity of the surrounding stance in Gaza, Jenin, Lebanon, Syria, and Yemen.

In the Al-Aqsa Flood battle on October 7, 2023, the Unity of Arenas transformed into a field reality, meaning the existence of coordination and cooperation among all resistance forces in the region and the establishment of a joint operations room, including joint activities in training and the exchange of expertise and intelligence information. Hezbollah embodied the Unity of Arenas when it entered the battle on October 8, offering the ultimate sacrifice with the martyrdom of Hezbollah Secretary-General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah. Yemen also entered the line of confrontation, and several Palestinian resistance factions participated, while Syria abstained—before exiting the conflict equation entirely on December 8, 2024—and the West Bank within the Palestinian interior retreated, and Iran's entry came late through Operation True Promise on April 13, 2024.

In March 2026, the Unity of Arenas returned to the forefront with the participation of Lebanon, Iraq, and Yemen alongside the Islamic Republic of Iran in the Battle of True Promise 4, while the participation of Palestinian resistance factions faltered due to their particular reality in Gaza and the truce they reached within the framework of the so-called Trump Peace Plan.

3- The Yemeni Role in the Unity of Arenas:

Yemen has constituted an important addition to the Axis of Resistance since the victory of the September 21, 2014 Revolution. With the Al-Aqsa Flood battle of 2023-2025, the official and popular Yemeni stance, along with the military operations carried out by Yemen using drones, ballistic missiles, and subsequently hypersonic missiles, as well as the great epic in the Red Sea and Bab el-Mandeb, made Yemen a rising regional player whose role cannot be overlooked in the calculations of peace and war.

These positions came as a translation of a Yemeni principle governing foreign policy, based on the fact that Palestine is the central cause of the Arab and Islamic nation, and that Yemen cannot recognize the occupation state or accept pursuing normalization with the Zionist enemy. This is a principle about which there is no disagreement among Yemeni political forces and trends, especially those affiliated with the Sana'a government.

From this standpoint, many questions arose regarding the American-Israeli aggression against Iran and Yemen's position, especially since Sana'a hesitated in engaging in supportive military action for Iran and the Axis of Resistance. The point raised in this question was that the supportive stance for Iran does not reach the same level of popular support as the stance for backing Palestine and specifically Gaza. Hence, it was necessary to prepare the Yemeni street first through the "Battle of Awareness" led by Sayyed Abdul-Malik al-Houthi in several speeches that clarified the nature of the battle with the coalition of aggression and its close connection to the Palestinian cause and declared Zionist schemes about the "New Middle East" and "Greater Israel"—matters in which Yemen should not remain neutral.