Yemeni President Warns Israel: F-35s May Soon Be A Global Embarrassment
Al-Mashat urging international aviation and shipping companies to steer clear of Zionist military flight paths over Yemen, as advanced interception systems prepare to enter the battlefield.
Yemen, PUREWILAYAH.COM – In a striking escalation, Yemeni President and Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, Mahdi al-Mashat, declared Friday evening that Yemen has identified and tracked Zionist aircraft used in hostile missions, and may soon begin actively intercepting them with newly developed advanced air defense systems.
Al-Mashat confirmed that directives had been issued to inform international air and maritime transport companies that flight paths used by Zionist military aircraft are no longer considered safe.
He emphasized Yemen’s commitment to ensuring the safety of civilian navigation, even as it prepares for what may be a new phase of defensive engagement.
Al-Mashat: “Soon You Will Hear Good News” About Enemy Warplanes
Addressing global carriers, al-Mashat urged them to avoid routes used by Zionist forces, stressing that Yemen’s air defenses are capable of neutralizing hostile aircraft without endangering civilian traffic.
He reinforced his fiery message by stating, “Soon, God willing, you will hear good news regarding the Zionist enemy’s aircraft used in the aggression against our country. Our armed forces, through our air defenses, will make these aircraft a source of mockery in the coming days.”
These remarks indicate that the coming phase may witness a new level of deterrence against the Zionist enemy, specifically on the defensive front—marked by the failure of Israeli air raids and growing confidence in the ability to down enemy warplanes.
By saying they will become “a source of mockery,” President al-Mashat was drawing a parallel to the American MQ-9 drones, 22 of which were shot down by Yemen during the “Promised Conquest” and “Sacred Jihad” campaigns—seven of them in just 21 days during April.
The downings turned the once-feared drone into an object of global ridicule, causing deep embarrassment for the American military and leading to the cancellation of related arms deals.
F-35s in the Crosshairs: A Strategic Shockwave
Al-Mashat’s comments strongly imply that Yemen’s upgraded air defense systems may soon challenge the air superiority of even fifth-generation warplanes like the American-made F-35.
Recalling an earlier speech delivered to the National Defense Council on April 20, al-Mashat also hinted at a future revelation involving the American B-2 stealth bomber, calling it a move that would “burn the last of America’s cards.”
His confidence was later supported by U.S. media reports quoting defense officials who admitted that Yemeni defenses had nearly shot down an American F-35, forcing the pilot to retreat in what was described as a close-call scenario.
U.S. Officials Acknowledge: Yemen Has Tipped the Balance
According to defense sources cited by military outlets in Washington on May 13, recent developments in Yemen’s anti-air capabilities mark a critical turning point, threatening the prestige of U.S. air power in the region.
One source referred to the F-35 as the “crown jewel” of the U.S. Air Force, now facing credible threats from a country long dismissed by Western analysts.
The potential loss of an F-35, they warned, could devastate global confidence in American military exports, particularly since the F-35 is the only stealth fighter widely exported by the United States.
These risks, analysts say, are a key reason behind Washington’s retreat from direct confrontation in the Yemeni theater—fearing a symbolic defeat that could resonate far beyond the battlefield.
Warning to Israel: Stay Out of the Red Sea Skies
President al-Mashat concluded his remarks by cautioning Israeli forces against further incursions into Red Sea and Yemeni airspace, suggesting that any such move might end with aircraft wreckage falling into international shipping lanes.
He urged commercial shipping and logistics firms to avoid navigation routes that could soon become sites of aerial engagements, especially as advanced Zionist aircraft—particularly the F-35—could be shot down in those zones.
Just as the United States was compelled to back off, al-Mashat implied that Israel, too, may be forced to halt its war on Gaza and Yemen the moment its prized warplanes come under credible threat—if not from destruction, then from the mere possibility of catastrophic failure. (PW)
Source: Al-Masirah