Exclusive: information indicates a closed Houthi security meeting led by Abu Ali al-Hakim, amid fears that the Al-Rayyan tribal mobilization could widen beyond the group’s control as mediation efforts intensify.

Exclusive information obtained by Sheba Intelligence indicates that senior Houthi security and military figures held a closed meeting chaired by Abu Ali al-Hakim, the group’s intelligence chief, to discuss growing concerns over the expanding tribal mobilization in Al-Rayyan, in Yemen’s northeastern Al-Jawf governorate.

According to the information, the meeting focused on the Houthis’ fear that the tribal nakf could grow beyond the group’s ability to control it and later turn into a broader military or security rebellion. The meeting reportedly concluded that the group must handle the crisis “wisely” and avoid any direct confrontation that could trigger wider tribal anger.

The Houthi leadership, according to the information, assigned Ali Nasser Qarshah and Fares bin Hadhdhal to lead a tribal mediation track aimed at containing the crisis and preventing it from moving into a wider phase of escalation.

The Houthi move came after Sheikh Mardi al-Marzuqi, commander of the so-called “Dignity Encampments” in Al-Rayyan, threatened escalation if the Houthis refuse to return what the tribes describe as “Dakhilat Dham” — a tribal term referring to a person who has entered the protection of the Dham tribe. In this case, it refers to Mira Saddam, also described in tribal language as Sheikh Hamad bin Fadgham’s rabi‘ah or protected woman.

Al-Marzuqi said that all options, including war, would remain open if the Houthis do not respond to the tribes’ demand. The tribes gathered in Al-Rayyan view the case as a direct violation of the tribal customs of protection, refuge and honor — principles that form a deep part of the social structure in Al-Jawf and across northern Yemen.

The Al-Rayyan mobilization began after Sheikh Hamad bin Rashid Fadgham al-Hazmi moved to the area following his release from Houthi detention. Fadgham is demanding that Mira be released and handed over to him at the Al-Rayyan encampments, on the grounds that she had sought his tribal protection, in addition to the restoration of her rights and property.

According to information circulating in tribal circles, Houthi-controlled areas are witnessing growing social anger over the case, after several tribes sent delegations to Al-Rayyan as a broad message of tribal support against what they consider a violation of tribal norms. The issue is no longer confined to Dham or Al-Jawf; it has become a wider tribal cause touching on the authority of custom and the limits of Houthi power in dealing with matters of protection, refuge and tribal standing.

Private information obtained by Sheba Intelligence also indicates that figures and leaders linked to the Houthis have begun criticizing the way the group’s leadership has handled the crisis, arguing that it touches the core principles on which Yemen’s tribal society was built. These voices have warned that mismanaging the file could have serious consequences for Houthi rule, especially if Al-Rayyan turns into a gathering point for broader tribal and social anger against the group.

Some information also suggests that internal disagreements among the Houthis are expanding because of the crisis. One camp favors containment, mediation and limited concessions, while another fears that any retreat under tribal pressure could encourage other tribes and regions to challenge the group’s authority.

Recent mediation efforts have so far failed to end the standoff. Tribal sources said Sheikh Saleh bin Shaji‘ did not personally arrive at the Al-Rayyan encampments but instead sent a delegation to negotiate with Fadgham and the assembled tribes. Sheikh Arfaj bin Hadhban, a Dham tribal figure in Al-Jawf, criticized that approach, saying remote mediation through representatives does not reflect the deeper tribal meaning of mediation in such a sensitive case.

According to the same background, the proposals carried by the mediation delegation were viewed by the encamped tribes as insufficient because they did not meet the central demand: that Mira be handed over at the Al-Rayyan encampments, not through another arrangement. Sheikh Hamad bin Fadgham has also rejected any proposal requiring him to leave Al-Rayyan to receive her elsewhere, insisting that she must be delivered to the encampments.

The situation became more complicated after a temporary extension of the deadline given to the Houthis. Fadgham announced that, following mediation by Wailah tribal figures, the deadline was extended for two additional days after an earlier ten-day ultimatum had expired.

These developments come within a broader context previously reported by Sheba Intelligence regarding the transformation of Al-Rayyan and Al-Jawf. One earlier report noted that Al-Rayyan is no longer merely a corridor linked to Houthi smuggling and influence networks, but has turned into a center of tribal mobilization against the group. Another report linked the expansion of tribal mobilization in Al-Rayyan to Houthi military movements in Al-Jawf, including the transfer of a camouflaged missile shipment and the preparation of launch and storage sites in areas close to tribal lines of influence.

This background shows that Al-Rayyan’s importance does not stem only from the symbolism of the tribal nakf, but also from its location in Al-Jawf, where smuggling routes, military deployment zones and movement lines between Houthi-held areas and Yemeni government-controlled territory intersect. For this reason, the Houthis appear to view the mobilization there as a dual threat: tribal in terms of symbolism and mobilization, and security-related in terms of location and reach.

The closed Houthi meeting reflects the group’s awareness that the Al-Rayyan case is no longer a limited tribal dispute. Instead, it is being treated internally as a potentially expanding challenge that could unite tribal grievances, weaken Houthi influence among northern tribes, and open a flashpoint in a sensitive area near the Saudi border.

For the Houthis, the central dilemma is that any direct security response could turn the encampments into a wider tribal front, while any concession could be interpreted as evidence that organized tribal pressure can force the group to retreat.