Executive Summary

On 16 October 2025, the Supreme Political Council of Yemen appointed Yusuf Al-Madani, also known by his nom de guerre Abu Hussein, as the new Chief of Staff for the Houthi movement following the death of his predecessor, Mohammed Abdulkarim Al-Ghumari. Al-Madani is a veteran operational commander and brother-in-law of Houthi leader, Abdul-Malik al-Houthi. 

Al-Madani assumes his new role amid major shifts in Yemen. The Southern Transitional Council’s (STC) recent territorial gains in Southern Yemen, combined with diverging interests between the UAE and Saudi Arabia, have significant implications for Yemen’s spheres of influence, civil society, and geopolitical trade. In this volatile and unpredictable environment, Madani’s leadership stands as a pivotal factor in determining how these dynamics will unfold. 

Al-Madani’s strong connections and reputation within the Axis of Resistance are likely to strengthen Houthi external military coordination. Despite their declared pause on maritime operations, recent regional developments and the conditional nature of the halt suggests the Houthis are likely to resume maritime based operations within the next six months. Furthermore, under Al-Madani’s leadership, the Houthis are likely to gain greater power and escalate aggressive campaigns in Yemen.

Profile

Other names/spellings of Al-Madani:

• Abu Hussein
• Yousef Ahssan Ismail Al-Madani
• Yusif Al-Madani
• Youssef Al-Madani
• Abu Jibril 

[source]

Professional path

• 2002-2003: Sent to Iran for military training with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) then returned to Yemen to train Houthi fighters domestically and send fighters abroad for further training. [source]
• 2004-2009: Served as a prominent Houthi military leader during the early years of the Houthi insurgency against the Yemeni government. [source]
• 2014: Participated in the Houthi takeover of Sanaa as part of the group’s military campaign that culminated in the capital’s capture and the resignation of President Hadi. [source]
• After 2017: Assumed leadership of the Fifth Military Region, which includes Hodeidah, Hajjah, Al Mahwit, and Ramyah governorates, overseeing Houthi military operations along the Red Sea coast. [source]
• 16 October 2025: Appointed Chief of General Staff of the Houthis, replacing Major General Muhammad Abdul Karim al-Ghamari after his death. [source]

Involvement in key events 

• Played a leading role in the Marib offensive. [source]
• Orchestrated attacks against Saudi Arabia. [source]
• According to Alestiklal, he had supervised the assassination of Major General Hamid al-Qushaibi, commander of the 310th Armored Brigade in Amran Governorate. [source]
• Participated in the Houthi takeover of Yemen’s capital, Sanaa, in September 2014. [source]
• After the invasion of Sana’a, played a central role in the release of Iranians arrested by the Yemeni authorities, and in arms-smuggling deals, including the “Jihan” ships cases. [source]
• Under his leadership in the Fifth Military Region, Houthi forces continued military actions that repeatedly breached the Hudaydah ceasefire provisions. [source]

Personal life

• Born in 1977 in the Muhatta Directorate of Hajjah Province in Yemen. [source]
• One of ten siblings, positioned as the middle child in his family. [source]
• Married to the daughter of Hussein al-Houthi, the founder of the Houthi movement, making him the brother in law of the current leader, Abdul-Malik al-Houthi. Additionally, Abdul-Malik al-Houthi was one of Al-Madani’s soldiers during the training of the Al Shabab al-Mu’min brigades, then the so-called six rounds of war between 2004-2009. [source]
• His brother, Taha Al-Madani was a prominent Houthi member and commander. He was killed in action in 2017. [source, source]

Education 

• Yusuf Al-Madani began formal schooling in public schools in the mid 1980s, but did not complete his education successfully. [source]
• Following this, his father enrolled him in religious study at a Houthi cleric at a Houthi cleric Majd al-Din al-Muayyad, along with his brother Taha. [source]
• Months later, Al Madani left Al-Muayyidi School to join the Al-Mu’minin Youth Brigades. [source]

Attributes

• Regional reporting refers to him as “the engineer of wars” due to his role in structuring and directing military efforts. [source]
• Similarly, the Houthis nickname for Yusuf Al-Madani is the “architect of war,” emphasising his prominent role in large-scale offensive operations. [source]
• Some reports describe him as part of internal debates about leadership succession within the Houthis. Apparently, Al-Madani believed he was the first and most worthy to lead the Houthi movement and succeed his uncle, however, the father of the founder of the Houthis, Badr al-Din al-Houth appointed his son Abdulmalik, an action that Al-Madani “reluctantly accepted.” [source, source]
• In 2015, then president Ali Abdullah Saleh, in a call with General People’s Congress leader Abdul Wahid Abu Ras, proposed Al-Madani as a “loyalist to the Houthi group, and one of the prominent social figures,” according to an Al-Jazeera broadcast of the leaked conversation.  [source, source]

Important relationships/networks

• Hezbollah: Ally of the Houthis. During the fighting against the central Yemeni government during the six Saada wars, he established close ties with Hezbollah commander Imad Mughniyeh, who recommended him to Quds Force commander Qassem Soleimani. Al-Madani trained in Lebanon under Hezbollah-linked programs before returning to Yemen to train Houthi fighters. [source]
• Iran’s Revolutionary Guard (IRGC): Ally of the Houthis. Received military training from the IRGC and significantly handled trade previous to his current position. The IRGC recently congratulated Yusuf Al-Madani on his appointment, writing that the appointment heralded “the continuation of the path of the martyr Al-Ghamari and the strengthening of the resistance front against the enemies of the Islamic nation.” [source, source]