Thousands of supporters of Iranian-backed Houthi terrorists staged anti-American and anti-Israeli protests in Yemen on Friday, vowing that the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, which starts Sunday night, "is a month of jihad before it is a month of worship."

Since November, the Houthis have launched dozens of attacks on commercial and U.S. Navy vessels in the Red Sea, Bab el-Mandab Strait, and Gulf of Aden, a crucial shipping route through which 12% of world trade passes.

On Wednesday, the Houthis claimed responsibility for an attack on a Greek-owned, Barbados-flagged commercial vessel off the coast of Yemen that killed three people. They were the first fatalities from Houthi attacks since the group began targeting ships in response to Israeli's military operation against Iranian-backed Hamas terrorists in the Gaza Strip.

On March 2, a Belize-flagged, British-owned bulk carrier with 21,000 metric tons of fertilizer on board sank in the Red Sea two weeks after taking on water following a strike by a Houthi anti-ship ballistic missile on Feb. 18.

Breitbart reported Friday, citing PressTV, an Iranian-owned media outlet, the protesters expressed their strong support for Palestinians in Gaza and denounced Israel.

"The month of Ramadan is a month of jihad before it is a month of worship," the protesters said in a statement to PressTV, which published images of the rally. "We will continue to mobilize and stay on alert.

"Praise to Yemeni Armed Forces for conducting qualitative operations and targeting Israeli-affiliated ships as well as American and British military assets in support of Gaza and in response to aggression against Yemen.

"With the advent of the holy month of Ramadan, we call for a total boycott of American and Israeli goods and the companies that support them."

Breitbart also reported, citing Anadolu Agency, a Turkish-run media outlet, that the Houthis organized the rallies in areas they control, such as the capital of Sanaa, rather than Yemenis spontaneously organizing to support them. Al-Mayadeen, an Iranian-aligned Lebanese news outlet, reported the Houthis have been organizing similar rallies on Fridays for the past 22 weeks, according to Breitbart.

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