President Al-Alimi’s Address to Yemeni People on 63rd Anniversary of October 14 Revolution

  Aden

In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful

My fellow Yemenis at home and abroad,

Heroes of our Armed Forces, security services, military formations, and popular resistance,

May the peace, mercy, and blessings of Allah be upon you.

On this historic day, I extend, on my behalf and on behalf of my fellow members of the Presidential Leadership Council and the government, my heartfelt congratulations and best wishes to you on the 63rd anniversary of the glorious October 14 Revolution.

Launched from the towering mountains of Radfan, the revolution opened the path to independence for our people. It affirmed that the will of free peoples is stronger than all forms of domination and tyranny.

The September 26 and October 14 revolutions were two defining moments in our national history. They embodied the Yemeni people’s shared determination to achieve freedom and dignity and establish a state whose authority derives its legitimacy from the people and whose laws safeguard rights.

The greatness of the October 1963 Revolution lay not only in ending colonial rule, but also in the vision of a civil state that followed. South Yemen witnessed institution-building, expanded access to education, greater participation by women, and pioneering experiences in national and social work. With its rich civilizational heritage and human diversity, Aden served as a haven for freedom fighters and a bridge connecting the people of our wider homeland.

My fellow Yemenis,

We commemorate this anniversary at a time when our responsibility to protect the republican system and national institutions is renewed. We must also end the war unleashed by the terrorist Houthi militias, with the support of the Iranian regime, which has caused one of the worst humanitarian tragedies in modern history.

On this occasion, I extend a special tribute to our people in the southern governorates, who have been at the forefront of defending the state project. They have made immense sacrifices to protect their cities, institutions, and national interests.

Aden and the southern governorates were among the first areas to defeat the advance of the terrorist Houthi militias. The efforts of the Armed Forces and popular resistance subsequently continued, with support from the Coalition to Support Legitimacy, to reclaim vast areas of the Republic’s territory.

Today, this role continues through the sacrifices of the heroes of the Giants Brigades, the Nation’s Shield Forces, and other military and security units, alongside the popular resistance. They are fulfilling their responsibilities on various fronts and setting an example of national solidarity, particularly through their support for our people in the besieged governorate of Taiz.

Sons and daughters of the great October Revolution, heirs to its legacy of freedom,

The threat posed by the Houthi militias today is not confined to any single governorate. It is an existential threat to the security, freedom, and future of Yemenis in both the north and the south.

The developments in Taiz and Marib cannot be separated from the security of Aden, Hadhramout, and the other governorates. Nor can any part of our homeland have a secure future as long as decisions of war and peace remain outside state institutions and citizens’ lives and interests remain vulnerable to armed coercion.

Together with all honorable people in the region and around the world, we take pride in the principled positions of the people of the southern governorates. We affirm that protecting the south’s security and stability, safeguarding the rights of its people, and realizing their aspirations are integral to our broader national responsibility.

We therefore renew our unwavering commitment to the just cause of the south and to the outcomes of the southern-southern dialogue, under the auspices of our brothers in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Our goal is a just and comprehensive solution that addresses past grievances, respects the popular will, and guarantees rights, partnership, and a secure future for all.

Fellow citizens,

A few days ago, we announced the launch of Dawn of Yemen Operation. The operation is now advancing steadily towards its ultimate objective, with the steadfast support of our loyal brothers in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

We took this step after exhausting all opportunities for de-escalation and in light of the Houthi militias’ insistence on pursuing war and escalation. Their attacks have expanded to target cities, villages, neighboring countries, and international waterways.

To understand what is happening today, we must recall how this tragedy began and the enormous price our people have paid since the coup against state institutions and the national consensus.

Years of war have claimed hundreds of thousands of lives, displaced millions, left land contaminated with mines, destroyed villages, closed schools, and crippled hospitals, preventing them from fulfilling their duties.

In large parts of the country, cemeteries have become painful reminders of the militias’ destructive conduct, while an entire generation has been deprived of its fundamental right to education and security.

These crimes have not been confined to our country. They have extended to airports and civilian facilities in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and to commercial vessels in regional and international waters. Meanwhile, attacks against innocent civilians continue in various parts of Yemen.

We followed with profound sorrow the terrorist attack targeting King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, which resulted in civilian casualties and injuries among Umrah pilgrims of various nationalities. The attack was part of a series of criminal assaults on civilian and vital facilities in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. These attacks have also threatened the security of the holy sites in Makkah and Madinah, which hold an immense place in the hearts of Muslims worldwide.

These attacks demonstrate contempt for innocent lives, disregard for the sanctity of holy sites, and a blatant crossing of all red lines. They once again expose the true nature of a group that respects neither the sanctity of human life nor the holiness of sacred places. It recklessly exposes the region’s security, the holy sites of the Muslim world, and the interests of its peoples to grave dangers in service of its sponsors’ cross-border agenda.

Targeting airports, mosques, and homes, and endangering innocent lives, provides further evidence of the need to eliminate this threat at its roots. Armed groups must no longer be allowed to use war against the Yemeni people and the countries of the region as a means of blackmail whenever their sponsors demand it.

This is the essence of Dawn of Yemen Operation: restoring state institutions, protecting citizens, ending the coup, and returning control over arms and decisions of war and peace exclusively to the state and its constitutional institutions. This will uphold the rule of law and prevent any armed group from usurping the people’s will or threatening the security of neighboring countries and international shipping lanes.

Fellow citizens,

The military escalation and intensifying siege in Taiz, together with the threats facing other governorates, underscore the importance of unity across all fronts. Protecting civilians and restoring state institutions are indivisible national responsibilities.

I would like to address our people in Taiz, both inside the city and outside.

This governorate has paid a heavy price in defending the republican system. Despite the siege and suffering, its people have never abandoned their right to life, freedom, and dignity.

I say to you: Taiz, whose people have courageously endured years of siege, is capable of overcoming this ordeal as well. We have confidence in the resilience of its people and the determination of our Armed Forces, security personnel, and popular resistance. We will continue to do everything within our power to protect the city, reopen its roads, and alleviate the suffering of its residents.

We have directed the government, local authorities, and all relevant agencies to mobilize available resources to meet urgent humanitarian needs. We have directed them to provide food and medicine, assist displaced persons and affected families, ensure the delivery of supplies, and reopen vital roads.

We call on the United Nations and its humanitarian agencies, as well as international and regional organizations, to mount an urgent response commensurate with the scale of the suffering inflicted by the militias. This response must ensure civilian protection and the unhindered delivery of humanitarian assistance.

We also express our appreciation for the solidarity shown by people across the other governorates with their fellow Yemenis in Taiz. These gestures embody national unity and the deep humanitarian bonds that unite our people.

To our people living in areas forcibly controlled by the militias,

We reaffirm that you are not targets of Dawn of Yemen Operation. On the contrary, your security, rights, and dignity are among its foremost objectives.

We therefore urge you to protect your children from recruitment campaigns and being drawn into battles. Stay away from military positions and combat zones, and take advantage of the announced safe-return and amnesty arrangements, in accordance with their legal provisions.

History will preserve in golden pages the names of those who defended their republic and fought resolutely for their legitimate rights. It will also open the books of shame for all those who colluded with the Imamate project or exploited citizens’ suffering for illicit gain.

My fellow Yemenis,

On this occasion, we renew our profound gratitude to our brothers in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, under the leadership of my brother, the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud; His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, Crown Prince and Prime Minister; and the generous Saudi people, for their steadfast fraternal support for our people and national institutions.

This support has been evident in assistance to state institutions, the national economy, and the general budget; contributions to the regular payment of salaries and the continuity of public services. It is also evident in relief for affected people; mine clearance; rehabilitation of facilities; and the implementation of development and reconstruction projects.

We also highly appreciate the royal directives to regularize the status of Yemenis residing in the Kingdom without legal residency status. This humanitarian initiative affects the lives of millions of our citizens and reflects the depth of the fraternal ties and shared interests between our two brotherly countries and peoples.

This is the established approach of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and its people: supporting stability, advancing development, and prioritizing opportunities for peace and reconstruction. Today, this approach is renewed through the Kingdom’s continued support for our people, national institutions, and Armed Forces and security services.

Here, the contrast between two fundamentally different paths becomes clear. One directs its resources towards the economy, public services, and rebuilding lives. The other drains resources into missiles, drones, and war, leaving displacement, destruction, and devastation in its wake.

What Yemenis need today is not more missiles and graves, but more schools, hospitals, and employment opportunities. They need safe returns to their homes, not new waves of displacement. They need an economy that enables people to live with dignity, not a war economy.

We therefore affirm that the security and stability of the Kingdom are closely linked to the security of Yemen and the interests of its citizens, many of whom have found opportunities for work and a dignified life there. Any attack on the Kingdom’s security and civilian facilities is consequently an attack on the vital interests of our people and the stability of the entire region.

My fellow Yemenis,

The October Revolution taught us that freedom cannot be safeguarded through fear, and that national sovereignty cannot be built by accepting tyranny or the claim of a divine right to rule. Rather, it rests on the will of the people, the justice of state institutions, and the equality of all citizens before the law.

Today, our historic responsibility extends beyond ending the war. It also requires us to eliminate the underlying causes that have repeatedly produced it and to build a state in which weapons cannot be used to impose realities by force. And neither an individual nor a group can place its will above that of the people or the rule of law.

Our fathers and forefathers ushered in the dawn of freedom and independence through the September and October revolutions. Our responsibility today is to usher in a dawn of statehood and lasting peace for our children. A state that embraces everyone, safeguards rights and freedoms, and recognizes no authority above the rule of law.

Our Armed Forces have performed commendably since the launch of Dawn of YemenOperation. Whatever temporary changes may occur on the ground, with Allah’s help, the bravery of our Armed Forces, and the support of our brothers and friends, you will witness our commitment to ending the terrorist threat become a reality. This decision is now in force, and there will be no turning back, whatever the sacrifices.

May God have mercy on our martyrs and grant them eternal peace.

We wish our wounded heroes a speedy recovery.

Freedom for the abducted and detainees.

Long live the glorious October Revolution.

Best wishes to you all on this historic occasion.

May peace, mercy, and blessings of Allah be upon you.