Marib (Yemen) – The appointment of the leader of the Houthis in Yemen, Mahdi Al-Mashat, to head the Supreme Political Council, succeeding Saleh Al-Samad, who was killed in an Arab coalition raid, revealed deep cracks and divisions in the ranks of the coup militia, threatening its collapse amid a conflict over influence.
Al-Mashat, who on Wednesday threatened the Arab coalition forces and the legitimate Yemeni forces with an “open war,” has an intermarriage relationship with the Houthi leader, Abdul-Malik al-Houthi. He is a second-ranking leader and is known for his extreme extremism and loyalty to Iran.
His appointment to head the Supreme Political Council, which is considered a presidential council for the coup plotters, raised question marks about his choice alone, especially since Abdul-Malik al-Houthi ignored the leaders of the first rank.
Yemeni sources indicate that Abdul-Malik al-Houthi does not trust many of the leaders within the coup militia.
Al-Mashat has a close relationship with Abdul-Malik Al-Houthi, and his appointment as Saleh Al-Samad’s successor is considered evidence of the Houthi leader’s confidence in him in the midst of internal divisions that split the coup militia into more than one faction competing to secure influence.
The threats of the new president of the coup council of open war against the coalition forces and the legitimate government shed light on the character of the unknown young man, who is known to be from the extremist wing within the armed militia and the most loyal to Iran.
Al-Mashat’s threats came after he was sworn in on Wednesday, as he is the son-in-law of Houthi leader Abdul-Malik al-Houthi and one of his close associates.
Al-Mashat held the American administration responsible for the killing of Al-Samad, pointing to the alliance between Saudi Arabia and the United States.
