Sheba Intelligence | July 22, 2026

The Houthi movement has assigned officers from its Military Intelligence Authority to carry out an expanded range of internal security, surveillance, financial, and digital operations as the group advances its broader military escalation plan, according to information obtained by Sheba Intelligence.

The new directives follow the Houthis’ announcement of a maritime blockade targeting Saudi-linked shipping and indicate that the movement is preparing not only for external confrontation but also for possible unrest, defections, and opposition activity within areas under its control.

According to the information, military intelligence officers were instructed to impose tighter security control and suppress any emerging movements that could challenge the group’s authority.

They were also tasked with collecting sensitive intelligence on the military movements of opposing forces, monitoring field security arrangements, and identifying changes in the deployment or readiness of government-aligned units.

The directives include expanded surveillance of tribal leaders, local communities, and foreign nationals, as well as the inspection of tenant records and personal data in residential neighborhoods. These measures appear intended to map population movements and identify individuals considered potential security threats.

Military intelligence units were further instructed to track anti-Houthi voices, carry out arrests and abductions, and supervise central and secret detention facilities used to hold political opponents, activists, and individuals suspected of disloyalty.

In the digital sphere, officers were assigned to monitor online activity, penetrate accounts, identify hostile media campaigns, and track cyber operations directed against the movement.

The assignments also extend to financial and commercial activities. Intelligence officers will monitor businesses and financial flows and oversee the redirection of humanitarian assistance and other resources in support of the Houthi war effort.

The movement has additionally ordered closer monitoring of loyalty within military formations and educational institutions in an apparent effort to detect possible defections, dissent, or opposition networks before they develop into organized threats.

Part of a Wider Escalation Plan

The internal security measures form part of a wider escalation plan previously revealed by Sheba Intelligence, which reported that the Houthis had begun implementing its first operational phase through maritime deployments and missile-force preparations.

According to that report, the group transferred three unmanned explosive surface vessels, together with small unmanned underwater craft capable of functioning as mobile naval mines, to the Al-Luhayyah coastal reserve on Yemen’s Red Sea coast.

The deployment was intended to prepare for surprise attacks against commercial shipping in and around the Bab al-Mandab Strait, disrupt international maritime traffic, and support wider naval operations.

Officers from the Houthi naval forces, the Fifth Military Region, the Coast Guard, and military sectors in Hodeidah were reportedly tasked with providing logistical support, preparing launch sites, and coordinating large-scale maritime attacks.

These maritime preparations were accompanied by missile-force deployments approved during a high-level military intelligence meeting chaired by Houthi Military Intelligence chief Abu Ali al-Hakim.

The meeting reportedly resulted in the redeployment of offensive capabilities and preparations for possible strikes against Saudi Arabia as part of the movement’s broader escalation posture.

The latest intelligence directives show that the Houthis are pursuing the external and internal dimensions of the escalation simultaneously. While naval and missile units prepare for operations beyond Houthi-held territory, military intelligence is tightening control over the population, military formations, commercial activity, and digital space.

The scope of the measures suggests that the Houthi leadership views internal cohesion as a major vulnerability as it moves toward a wider confrontation, particularly amid growing economic pressure, tribal tensions, and concerns over the loyalty of fighters, officials, and local communities.