U.S. Air Raids Fear Prompts Houthi Militia to Ban Meetings, Replace Guards

The Iran-backed Houthis have issued a security directive banning their leadership from holding meetings in a single location, citing heightened concerns over U.S. airstrikes and escalating internal rifts.

The order followed rising tensions and mutual recriminations within the militia’s factions. These divisions intensified after a series of assassinations targeting key leaders—carried out either by U.S. strikes or internal purges in recent months. An intelligence source told the Khabar agency.

According to the source, prominent figures have evacuated Sanaa and other major cities, relocating to remote areas to evade potential targeting. This exodus underscores worsening internal strife and a breakdown of trust among the group’s top commanders.

Some leaders have significantly reinforced their personal security details, while others have completely replaced their protection teams under strict secrecy. These moves signal deepening mutual suspicion within the militia’s senior ranks.

The source emphasized that such measures reveal unprecedented levels of paranoia and disarray within the group, fueled by mounting casualties—particularly among its military leadership.

The latest directive underscores internal fractures that threaten the militia’s unity, potentially accelerating its collapse under intensifying military and political pressure.