Yahya Saree
The Houthi movement voice who announces every missile strike on Israel.
Last refreshed: 30 March 2026 · Appears in 1 active topic
Will Yahya Saree announce Houthi strikes that close the Bab al-Mandeb?
Latest on Yahya Saree
- Who is Yahya Saree?
- Yahya Saree is the military spokesperson of Ansar Allah, the Houthi movement in Yemen. A brigadier-general, he announces Houthi military operations via Al Masirah TV and is the movement's authoritative public voice on strikes and strategic threats.Source: Al Masirah TV
- What did Yahya Saree announce about Houthi strikes on Israel?
- On 28 March 2026, Saree announced that Ansar Allah had fired a barrage of Ballistic Missiles at IDF sites in southern Israel, their first attack since the conflict resumed on 28 February. He said strikes would continue until aggression against all resistance fronts ceases.Source: Al Masirah TV
- Did the Houthis threaten to close the Bab al-Mandeb strait?
- Yes. Following Saree's missile announcement, Houthi officials stated that closing the Bab al-Mandeb was among their options. Combined with Iranian pressure at Hormuz, this placed two of the world's three critical maritime chokepoints under simultaneous threat.Source: Reuters
- What is Yahya Saree's role compared to Houthi military commanders?
- Saree is a spokesperson, not an operational commander. His function is to announce strikes and frame Houthi strategy publicly. His statements are treated as the official record of Houthi military claims, which makes them strategically significant beyond their propaganda value.
- Is Yahya Saree sanctioned?
- Saree's name has appeared in Western intelligence and sanctions discussions given his role as the public face of Houthi military operations, which the US and EU designate as a terrorist organisation. He has not been separately and publicly named on a standalone sanctions list as of early 2026.
Background
Yahya Saree is the military spokesperson of Ansar Allah (the Houthis), the Yemen-based armed movement that has controlled Sanaa since 2014. A brigadier-general in the movement, he has been the public face of Houthi military operations since at least 2019, delivering statements via the movement's satellite channel Al Masirah TV and widely cited by international wire services.
Since the Iran-Israel-US conflict escalated in early 2026, Saree has announced every major Houthi offensive action. On 28 March 2026 he declared a barrage of Ballistic Missiles fired at Israel Defense Forces (IDF) sites in southern Israel — the movement's first strikes since fighting resumed on 28 February — and pledged attacks would continue until aggression against all resistance fronts ceased . Days later, Houthi officials warned that closing the Bab al-Mandeb strait was among their options, placing a second global chokepoint under threat .
Saree occupies an unusual position: a military officer whose value lies entirely in public communication rather than battlefield command. His statements are operationally significant because they are the authoritative record of what the Houthis claim to have done, making him indispensable to any analysis of Houthi intent and escalation tempo.
