Analysis: Houthi-Backed President Speech to the National Defense Council
Houthi-backed leader claims symbolic victory over USS Truman, warns against internal dissent and foreign intervention, and frames Yemen’s fight as a moral duty linked to Gaza conflict.
Summary: Houthi-backed President Mahdi Al-Mashat used a high-profile meeting of the National Defense Council—his first public appearance in military fatigues since the start of the U.S. large-scale military operation—to project defiance against the ongoing U.S. air campaign, claim unsupported symbolic victories such as disabling the USS Truman, warn of internal dissent and foreign intervention, and reinforce loyalty to Abdulmlaik Al-Houthi as Yemen's singular leadership. He framed the conflict as a religious and moral battle tied to Gaza, declared U.S. military technology defeated, and threatened retaliatory measures, including symbolic sanctions on U.S. companies. The speech served to rally support, deter defections, and signal readiness for escalation.
Analysis: The Houthi-backed National Defense Council convened a high-level meeting in Sana’a on 20 April 2025, chaired by Mahdi Al-Mashat, President of the Supreme Political Council (the de facto presidential authority in Houthi-controlled Yemen). For the first time since the start of the U.S.-led military campaign in Yemen, Al-Mashat appeared publicly in full military fatigues—a clear signal of a shift in military posture amid escalating airstrikes and pressure.
Among those in attendance were several U.S.-sanctioned figures, including Chief of Staff Major General Mohammed Abdulkarim Al-Ghamari; Intelligence Chief Abdulhakim Al-Khaywani; Central Bank Governor and Acting Head of the Supreme Economic Committee Hashem Ismail Al-Madani; Minister of Defense and Military Production Major General Mohammed Nasser Al-Atifi; and non-sanctioned figures such as Prime Minister Ahmad Ghaleb Al-Rahwi; Deputy Prime Minister for Reconstruction Mohammed Muftah; Major General Ali Hammoud Al-Mushki, who heads the National Redeployment Team in Al-Hudaydah; military spokesperson Brigadier General Yahya Saree; and Mobilization Chief Major General Nasser Al-Lakoumi. Visibly absent were any senior members of the Houthi family.
Al-Mashat opened the meeting by thanking the Yemeni people for their resilience under the leadership of their leader Abdulmalik Badr Al-Din Al-Houthi and praised the armed forces and security institutions. He claimed that the large-scale U.S. operation "failed from day one," asserting that Houthi forces had obtained intelligence that allowed them to preempt and blunt the impact of the strikes. Whether this is an attempt to spin SignalGate as a propaganda win, or a veiled hint at Russian, Iranian—or even Chinese—intelligence support remains unclear.
He reiterated a key Houthi narrative: that the U.S. aircraft carrier USS Truman had been effectively neutralized early in the campaign. “The confirmed information we have is that Truman exited the area in the early days of the aggression, having lost its command and control,” Al-Mashat claimed. He framed the deployment of a replacement carrier as a disguised retreat. Just hours after his speech, the Houthi military spokesman announced a renewed strike on USS Truman, conflicting with the Al-Mashat’s claim of its disabling.
He repeated: “Our forces succeeded in disabling USS Truman, preventing it from achieving any objective for the enemy.”
In another moment, Al-Mashat praised Iran’s recent diplomatic wins, including progress in lifting sanctions and its regional rapprochement, particularly with Saudi Arabia. “We supported and congratulated them then, and we celebrate their diplomacy now,” he said. Yet, he made no mention of U.S.-Iranian backchannel talks—a conspicuous omission given the Houthis’ long-standing dependence on Tehran. For the Houthis, watching their primary backer engage in direct talks with Washington is likely politically awkward.
Striking a defiant tone, Al-Mashat declared that Yemenis are “as resilient as our mountains, undeterred by missiles, bombs, or strategic bombers, Trump.”
He vowed that President Trump would be “held accountable for all his crimes against civilians and civilian infrastructure—whether he remains in office or not.”
Reinforcing earlier remarks by Abdulmalik Al-Houthi, he added, “Trump thought it would be a joyride, but he’s stumbled into a strategic quagmire.”
Al-Mashat alluded to unconfirmed reports of possible ground operations, dismissing them as “wishful American thinking floated by their mouthpieces, likely picked up by their clients or the clients of their clients”—a thinly veiled reference to Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and their allied Yemeni forces.
He warned that any party drawn into this battle would face “disgrace and defeat,” and emphasized what he called the Houthis' strategic strength: “unified leadership under one leader, Sayyed [Sir] Abdulmalik Badr Al-Din Al-Houthi.” This appeared to be a jab at the deep divisions and infighting within the anti-Houthi coalition and Yemen’s internationally recognized government.
Al-Mashat also commended the security services for maintaining vigilance and warned: “We will be firm. This battle has no other name—no Muslim kills another Muslim. This is Jew versus Muslim.” He added a stern warning to potential defectors: “Many have been offered bribes in dollars, riyals, and dirhams—but they’ve chosen dignity and justice.”
These comments reflect growing Houthi concerns about internal dissent, infiltrations, and the risk of tribal or elite defections. His remarks doubled as both praise for loyalty and a veiled threat—emphasizing that justice will be harsh for any traitors. Al-Mashat even noted that tribal leaders were drafting a “tribal honor charter,” while also referencing Yemen’s legal code that mandates execution for treason.
Reinforcing his narrative of impending victory, he told supporters: “We are on the brink of triumph.” But he also acknowledged that the coming phase would be difficult: “Yes, there are tremors, strong statements, and propaganda—but it’s all part of the divine pattern before victory, to distinguish the wicked from the righteous.” His remarks came just after a major U.S. strike on the Ras Isa Fuel Port—an attack that is likely to have serious medium- to long-term economic consequences for the Houthis.
As for potential foreign intervention, Al-Mashat addressed the Gulf states indirectly by questioning their reliance on Trump: “What do you see in him? What are you betting on? He’s trying to drag everyone down with him.”
He added: “Let him sink in his own swamp—Trump is stuck in a quagmire called Yemen... He’s humiliated America in a way it won’t recover from for generations. This reckless, foolish coward has planted the seeds of global resentment.”
In one of the more revealing parts of the speech, Al-Mashat described what he considers to be the three pillars of U.S. military power: aircraft carriers, strategic bombers, and electromagnetic defense systems. “Trump threw all three into Yemen,” he claimed. While he acknowledged the recent pause in Houthi missile launches, he also highlighted the deployment of the U.S. electromagnetic defense system—possibly referencing advanced EW (electronic warfare) systems or future missile interception technologies still in testing.
“Yes, it intercepted some of our missiles,” he said, “but within ten days, our fighters bypassed it, and just two days ago, our missiles reached Israel safely.” Whether this claim is accurate or simply propaganda remains unclear—but the narrative aims to show the Houthis not only resisting but overcoming advanced American technology.
He continued: “This system, once used to threaten Russia and China, was defeated in Yemen in ten days. The strategic bomber, once feared by global powers, is now meaningless.”
He then directly addressed what appeared to be a call to action to America’s adversaries, namely Russia and China: “This is your chance. America is distracted and has lost its tools of intimidation here in Yemen. The electromagnetic system? Defeated. The B-2 bomber? We’ll have news on that soon, God willing.” This followed Houthi claims of shooting down over two dozen U.S. MQ-9 drones, and now they seem to be setting the stage for a symbolic challenge against U.S. stealth bombers.
Al-Mashat even announced a planned sanctions campaign of their own, targeting American arms manufacturers and possibly exempting U.S. companies that oppose Trump’s policies. The mechanism for such sanctions is unclear, and likely symbolic, but the message was intended for domestic and foreign audiences alike. He added that American oil companies would also be on a sanctions list, though in reality it’s primarily Chinese and European shipping companies that rely on the Red Sea corridor.
He closed by affirming the group’s religious and nationalist convictions: “Our cause is just, God is with us, our people are with us, and our leader is with us. We have a leader as mighty as the mountains of Nuqum, Attan, and Aiban. Each Yemeni citizen is a mountain standing on a mountain. Praise be to God.”