“Tightened Measures”: Houthi Militias Hide Their Leader from “American Hell”

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The Houthi militias in Yemen are taking strict measures to protect their leader amid escalating US strikes and increasing threats.

The American magazine Newsweek reported, citing an informed source within the militias, that the group is implementing heightened security measures to protect its leader, Abdul-Malik al-Houthi, while threatening to resume attacks on ships linked to Israel.

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“As for targeting leaders and assassination policies, we are proceeding with extreme caution,” the anonymous source stated.

He added that the Houthis will continue their policy of “blockade for blockade until the siege on Gaza is lifted” and until Israel returns to “the agreement it had previously accepted but later withdrew from.”

Earlier, Yemeni security and military sources revealed that the Houthi militias had adopted new security measures by forming a closed security circle around their leader.

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The sources stated that the Houthi leader’s brother, Abdel-Khalek al-Houthi, personally formed a small protection unit mainly composed of front-line fighters, led by Mutlaq al-Marani, known as “Abu Imad.”

They added that the leader’s traditional security units had been temporarily suspended and placed in a secured facility inside a cave in Saada province, the militia’s northern stronghold.

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The “Hell” That Befell the Houthis

On Saturday, US President Donald Trump threatened the Houthis with “hell” and urged Iran to stop supporting the insurgents, who have carried out a series of attacks on commercial ships off Yemen amid the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza.

On Sunday night, American fighter jets launched multiple airstrikes targeting various Houthi locations in Yemen, marking the first strikes since Trump took office in January.

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In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump announced the strikes, stating: “To all Houthi terrorists: Your time is up, and your attacks must stop starting today. If you do not, hell will rain down on you like never before.”

The White House reported that the US strikes killed “many” Houthi commanders in Yemen, while also issuing a “warning” to Iran to stop supporting the rebels and their attacks on ships in the Red Sea.

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Houthi Threats

These US strikes came after the Houthis threatened to resume attacks on ships linked to Israel in the Red Sea following a pause that began in January after a ceasefire was reached in Gaza.

Since the war in Gaza broke out on October 7, 2023, the Houthis have carried out hundreds of attacks on ships they claim are linked to Israel in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. They temporarily halted these attacks following the implementation of a truce on January 19.

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Houthi attacks have caused severe disruptions to global trade and significantly increased international shipping costs.

According to Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell, the Houthis have attacked US warships 174 times and commercial vessels 145 times since 2023.

Back on the Terrorist List

Recently, the Trump administration refocused its efforts on increasing pressure on the Houthi group, reinstating it on the list of foreign terrorist organizations.

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His predecessor, President Joe Biden, had removed the Houthis from the list shortly after taking office in 2021, citing the challenges faced by humanitarian organizations operating in Yemen.

Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government has also issued warnings to Houthi leaders. In December, Israeli Energy Minister Eli Cohen cautioned that if the Houthis continued their actions, they would meet the same fate as Hamas political leader Yahya Sinwar and Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah.

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