An article at the Counter Extremism Project, “Eyes of the Regime: How the Houthi Security and Intelligence Service Ensures Political Domination in Yemen,” described Marani as a key figure in the Houthi intelligence system. “As early as 2017, Hassan al-Marrani was appointed director of the Intelligence Department in the National Security Bureau. In 2018, al-Marrani was also serving in the ostensibly benign role of director general at the Yemeni Economic Corporation. In this capacity, according to a leaked document, he worked to promote Houthi recruitment by calling ‘for the speedy preparation of lists of the names of employees who are ready to participate in the war and submitting them to administrative affairs for qualification, within three days.’”

Host Bill Roggio and CEP Senior Advisor Edmund Fitton‑Brown break down the post‑12‑Day War chessboard: The Houthis, Hezbollah, and Tehran’s other proxies—what they’ve learned, and where to anticipate the next flashpoint.

Edmund Fitton-Brown, CEP senior advisor, and Ari Heistein, CEP nonresident fellow, write: How will the Houthis respond to the devastating Israeli strikes on Iran? This moment could prove decisive for both the Iran-led axis and the Houthis’ role within it. Historically, the Houthis have demonstrated a high tolerance for risk. This approach has allowed them to achieve far more than many would have thought possible a decade ago. At the same time, they are strategic actors who consistently prioritize their position within Yemen above all else. With that in mind, there are three key reasons to assess that the Houthis will play a limited supporting role in responding to Israeli strikes on Iran, one that aligns with Tehran’s objectives but does not place them at the forefront of the response.

CEP Senior Advisor Edmund Fitton-Brown writes: "As British Ambassador to Yemen from 2015 to 2017, and later in counterterrorism roles at the UN, I watched with growing frustration as Washington, despite its early clarity, lost the plot in Yemen – with consequences that are now rippling across the Red Sea and into Israel.

In 2014, the international community got it right. UN Security Council Resolution 2140 blamed the right culprits: former President Ali Abdullah Saleh and the Houthi leadership. The Houthis, a small sectarian militia allied with Saleh, were trying to hijack Yemen’s democratic transition – and the world recognized that. When…"