Como clara señal de sus inclinaciones ideológicas, los líderes hutíes nombraron, en abril de 2017, a Beraas Shams al-Din Muhammad Sharaf al-Din como nuevo muftí para desempeñarse como la principal autoridad religiosa en Saná. Sharaf al-Din fue educado en Irán y se cree que es uno de los vínculos más importantes entre Irán y el movimiento hutí. Y aquí está el elemento más importante de la jerarquía hutí: Shams al-Din no es la máxima autoridad religiosa del sistema hutí.

Las raíces ideológicas de Abdul-Malik al-Houthi provienen de una mezcla de zaidismo jarudí, el legado del movimiento Juventud Creyente (Shabab al-Mumin), fundado por su hermano Hussein Badr al-Din, y el modelo revolucionario de la Wilayat al-Faqih de Irán.

Basándose en sus discursos, textos ideológicos y análisis regionales, Abdul-Malik al-Houthi, el actual líder del movimiento, se considera a sí mismo un guía espiritual y militar designado divinamente, encargado de liderar una guerra santa contra la tiranía occidental y sionista. Descendiente del Profeta (sayyid): basándose en su linaje hachemita, afirma descender directamente del profeta Mahoma. En su opinión, este linaje le otorga un derecho intrínseco y religioso al liderazgo espiritual y político absoluto sobre la comunidad musulmana. El Guía Supremo y Reformador, reflejando el estatus del Líder Supremo de Irán. Defensor de la causa palestina. Guerrero desafiante.

Sabiendo que es un objetivo prioritario para los servicios de inteligencia extranjeros, su estilo de vida recluido —operando enteramente desde casas seguras ocultas y comunicándose solo a través de pantallas— ha alimentado una autoimagen de comandante disciplinado y resiliente que resiste un “asedio” sagrado junto a su pueblo.

Curiosamente, durante los ataques contra Israel y las respuestas israelíes, el muftí Sharaf al-Din apareció en internet como un simple soldado entrenándose para la defensa del país, una señal de cómo su posición es diferente de la de Abdul-Malik.

Abdul-Malik veía a Hassan Nasrallah con inmensa reverencia, considerándolo su mayor mentor ideológico, un modelo supremo de resistencia regional y una figura de hermano mayor. Dentro del “Eje de Resistencia”, la relación entre los dos líderes era excepcionalmente estrecha, construida sobre décadas de orientación fundamental de Hezbolá al movimiento hutí.

Tras el asesinato de Nasrallah, la percepción de al-Houthi sobre su propio papel dentro del Eje de Resistencia cambió significativamente. Con Nasrallah desaparecido y Hezbolá temporalmente desequilibrado, al-Houthi buscó honrar el legado de su mentor ocupando el vacío, con el objetivo de posicionarse como el líder de vanguardia más agresivo, desafiante e independiente operativamente que quedaba en la alianza regional.

Los hutíes son, de hecho, un grupo subordinado a Teherán, pero no como Hezbolá. Lograron fortalecer sus relaciones estratégicas con las dos grandes potencias, por encima de los dirigentes en Irán.

La relación de al-Houthi con Rusia se ha transformado de una neutralidad diplomática en una profunda alianza de seguridad clandestina.

Las relaciones con Pekín son más complicadas, al equilibrar una amplia adquisición encubierta con fricciones diplomáticas públicas por la seguridad energética.

Abdul-Malik al-Houthi considera estas relaciones como prueba de su creciente estatus como importante actor global. Su círculo íntimo se jacta abiertamente de que “las grandes potencias ahora llaman a las puertas de Saná”, lo que permite al movimiento explotar los recursos rusos y chinos para desafiar sistemáticamente la influencia estadounidense en todo Oriente Medio.

Tras el asesinato de Hassan Nasrallah, los hutíes y su líder Abdel Maleq se han convertido en el activo más importante de Teherán, debido a su resiliencia y ahora al control de Bab el-Mandeb, quizá más importante que Ormuz. Pero no me sorprendería que, si el régimen islámico en Irán se derrumba en algún momento, Abdel Malik al Houthi, si sobrevive, surja como líder de un nuevo eje chiita.

Es interesante que el Cuerpo de la Guardia Revolucionaria Islámica (CGRI) haya amenazado a Israel con una respuesta militar a gran escala si destruye el complejo subterráneo bajo la cresta Ali al-Taher, en el sur del Líbano. Las Fuerzas de Defensa de Israel (FDI) procedieron con la operación y anunciaron la destrucción completa de la infraestructura subterránea los días 10 y 11 de septiembre de 2026. No hubo respuesta iraní, pero sí hubo la importante operación hutí para tomar el control de los estrechos de Bab el-Mandeb. Coincidencia, o decisión de prioridad estratégica, y desinformación/manipulación de los actores regionales y globales.

*El autor es investigador sénior en el Instituto Internacional para la Lucha contra el Terrorismo (ICT, por sus siglas en inglés), Universidad Reichman

*El artículo es un extracto de la participación de Karmon en la conferencia del ICT

Democrats have expanded their once-narrow path to reclaiming the Senate majority with just over two weeks until Election Day, but they’ll need to win several competitive races to take control of the chamber.

If Democrats ride a massive blue wave in the midterm elections, they could end up with 52 or even 53 seats in the next Senate. But if Republicans out-perform the polls, they could hold their majority, which currently stands at 53-47.

Here’s a look at the current battlefield and both parties’ routes to securing a Senate majority in the midterms.

The latest Power Rankings point to Democrats and Republicans each taking 47 seats in the midterms, leaving six races rated as true toss-ups. Additionally, three races are rated as leaners — one step shy of a toss-up. These nine showdowns will likely determine whether the Democrats make a net gain of four seats to win control of the Senate or if the GOP holds the majority.

DEMS SEE NEW CHANCES TO FLIP SENATE SEATS BUT GOP’S MASSIVE CASH ADVANTAGE AN OBSTACLE

«Nine races will determine control of the Senate, and on the polling alone, you could call any of them toss-ups,» said Remy Numa, a contributor who steers the network’s Power Rankings.

The GOP is fighting political history, as the party in power in Washington has traditionally lost seats during midterm election years. Republicans also face a challenging political climate fueled by persistent inflation Americans see at the grocery store, high gas prices tied to what polls show is an unpopular war with Iran and President Donald Trump’s increasingly negative approval ratings.

With Republicans controlling the seats in six of the nine competitive races in the Power Rankings, the GOP is playing more defense than the Democrats.

The six toss-up states are Alaska, where Sen. Dan Sullivan is seeking re-election against Democratic challenger and former Rep. Mary Peltola; Iowa, where Rep. Ashley Hinson is trying to keep retiring Sen. Joni Ernst’s seat in GOP hands against Democratic state Rep. Josh Turek; and Maine, where longtime Republican Sen. Susan Collins is running for re-election against former state Senate President Troy Jackson, the Democratic challenger.

DEMOCRATS THINK A BLUE WAVE IS BUILDING – HERE ARE THREE FACTORS THAT COULD STOP IT

Also on the list is Ohio, where appointed GOP Sen. Jon Husted is running to serve the final two years of the term won in 2022 by now-Vice President JD Vance. He’s facing former longtime Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown. And in Texas, state Attorney General Ken Paxton is battling Democratic state Rep. James Talarico in the race to succeed longtime GOP Sen. John Cornyn, who was ousted by Paxton in a bitter Republican primary.

Democrats are playing defense in Michigan, the sixth toss-up, where nominee Abdul El-Sayed is trying to keep party control of retiring Democratic Sen. Gary Peters’ seat, as he faces former GOP Rep. Mike Rogers.

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Democrats are also on defense in New Hampshire, where Rep. Chris Pappas is aiming to keep retiring Sen. Jeanne Shaheen’s seat blue against former GOP Sen. John E. Sununu. The Power Rankings rate the race «Lean Democrat.»

It’s a similar story in Minnesota, where Democratic Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan is trying to keep retiring Sen. Tina Smith’s seat in party hands.

But the Power Rankings this past week shifted the race in the blue-leaning state toward the GOP, from Likely Democrat to Lean Democrat, as Republican nominee Michele Tafoya appears to gain traction.

DEMOCRACY ’26: STAY UP TO DATE WITH THE ELECTION HUB

Meanwhile, the GOP is on defense in red-leaning Kansas, where Republican Sen. Roger Marshall faces a difficult re-election fight against Democratic challenger Adam Hamilton, a pastor. The Power Rankings rate the race Lean Republican.

Numa, pointing to Kansas, Minnesota and New Hampshire, said that «the voter profiles and histories of those states are keeping them at ‘Lean D’ and ‘Lean R’ on the forecast, but this map has expanded, and with the exception of the North Star State, mostly into red territory.»

Meanwhile, two states are now pretty much off the table for the GOP.

Georgia was a top Republican target when the 2026 cycle began, but Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff holds a solid lead over GOP challenger Rep. Mike Collins in the southeastern battleground. Republican outside groups have cut their spending significantly in Georgia, and the Power Rankings rate the race as Likely Democrat.

In neighboring North Carolina, Republicans appear to have conceded the seat held by retiring GOP Sen. Thom Tillis. Republican groups have pulled the plug on spending on behalf of GOP nominee Mike Whatley, who trails former Gov. Roy Cooper, the Democratic nominee, in polling. The Power Rankings also rate this race as Likely Democrat.

The Democrats win the majority if they run the table by holding Georgia, Michigan, Minnesota and New Hampshire, and flip North Carolina as well as at least three of the five GOP-controlled toss-up states.

«Senate Democrats are in the strongest position yet to win the majority – with multiple paths to flip GOP-held seats and growing momentum across the map,» Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand of New York, the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee chair, touted in a recent statement.

Conversely, Republicans would keep control of the chamber by holding at least three of the toss-ups where they’re playing defense. A 50-50 Senate would remain in GOP hands, thanks to the tie-breaking vote of Vice President JD Vance.

Gillibrand’s counterpart, National Republican Senatorial Committee Chair Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina, remains optimistic.

«I think it’s going very well for us,» Scott said Thursday in an interview on «America Reports.» «The momentum, frankly, is with us, not against us.»

The GOP majority could be bolstered if the party goes on offense. While chances of Sununu flipping New Hampshire appear to be receding, Republicans are optimistic Rogers can top El-Sayed in Michigan. Trump is expected to hold a rally with Rogers in the Great Lakes battleground later this month.

Meanwhile, Scott has his eyes on a flip in Minnesota.

«Michele Tafoya is running a very independent campaign, lots of traction,» he told Fox News. «I think we close that gap. And if there’s an October surprise, Minnesota goes Republican.»

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Lawmakers have escalated their probe of three nonprofits linked to Marxist tech tycoon Neville Roy Singham’s funding network, warning that their leaders — and even Singham himself — could be hauled before Congress to answer questions under oath unless they comply with subpoenas by Tuesday.

In new letters announced this week, the Republican-led House Ways and Means Committee renewed its demands for financial records and other documents as lawmakers investigate whether millions of dollars flowing through Singham’s network of tax-exempt nonprofits are being used to advance Chinese Communist Party interests in the United States.

Singham himself is among 21 individuals identified by the committee for potential questioning under oath, according to Digital sources. The list includes nonprofit executives, activists and journalists associated with the three organizations.

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DOJ LAUNCHES GRAND JURY PROBE INTO MARXIST MOGUL NEVILLE ROY SINGHAM’S FUNDING OF LEFTIST GROUPS

The letters were sent to The People’s Forum Inc., a New York City-based activist hub; BreakThrough News, a left-wing nonprofit media outlet that shares a Manhattan address with The People’s Forum; and Tricontinental: Institute for Social Research, a Massachusetts-based Marxist think tank.

«Shanghai Singham has poured millions of dollars into these groups to take advantage of America’s nonprofit sector and promote Chinese Communist Party propaganda. That much is public. What these groups are fighting to keep hidden is even more concerning,» Ways and Means Committee Chairman Jason Smith, R-Mo., said in a statement.

«Either these organizations turn over the documents, or their leaders will answer the Committee’s questions under oath.»

The threatened depositions mark another escalation in a dispute that began with requests for financial records in 2025 and intensified when the committee subpoenaed the three nonprofits in July.

The organizations have challenged the investigation, arguing lawmakers are targeting their political views and First Amendment-protected activities.

The potential deposition targets include eight individuals at The People’s Forum, seven at BreakThrough News and six at Tricontinental.

Among those named are The People’s Forum executive director Manolo De Los Santos, education director Layan Fuleihan and organizing director David Chung; BreakThrough News editor-in-chief Ben Becker, news director Zoe Alexandra and chief correspondent Rania Khalek; and Tricontinental executive director Vijay Prashad and Singham, who is listed as chairman of its international advisory board.

The committee has not publicly announced that deposition subpoenas have been issued to any of the individuals.

SUBPOENAED PRO-CHINA OUTLET DEFENDS ITSELF ON DEMOCRACY NOW!, WHICH PAID SINGHAM-FOUNDED COMPANY MILLIONS

The panel alleges that Singham channeled money through shell companies and donor-advised funds before it reached the three tax-exempt groups. Such arrangements, the committee said, can allow foreign-linked funding to pass through intermediaries that «by design, obscure the original source of the contribution.»

Singham is an American-born technology tycoon and longtime Marxist activist who sold his software company, ThoughtWorks, for an estimated $785 million in 2017 and now lives in Shanghai.

Digital previously traced at least $278 million from Singham into six core U.S. nonprofits that served as funding hubs within a broader international network of activist groups, media organizations and think tanks promoting socialist, communist and pro-China causes.

Of that funding, the investigation found $22.44 million flowed to The People’s Forum, $16.76 million to Tricontinental and $1.098 million to BreakThrough BT Media Inc., the parent organization of BreakThrough News. Together, the three received approximately $40.3 million, according to the investigation, which the committee cited in its earlier correspondence.

The committee says it is examining whether existing tax laws adequately protect against foreign influence in the nonprofit sector and whether Congress should strengthen those laws.

Separately, Singham is under federal grand jury investigation in the Southern District of New York over alleged financial crimes involving his nonprofit funding network, as previously reported by Digital. The investigation is examining possible wire fraud, bank fraud, money laundering and other financial offenses. No criminal charges against Singham have been announced.

BreakThrough News condemned the latest demands in an Oct. 9 statement on its website, accusing the committee of targeting its journalists because of their political views. The outlet said it receives no outside editorial direction and that its major donations come from U.S. organizations.

During an episode of its BT Live program, hosts Alexandra and Khalek, both named among those facing potential depositions, denounced the committee’s demands.

«Unless BT gives up its legal rights, including our First Amendment protections, he’ll subpoena each of us individually and drag us to Washington for depositions,» Alexandra said.

Khalek accused lawmakers of targeting journalists personally after the outlet challenged earlier demands.

«They will come after us individually if we don’t comply with their unconstitutional demands,» she said.

BreakThrough News also urged supporters to sign a petition opposing the investigation and donate to help cover its legal expenses.

Digital contacted all three organizations and their attorneys for comment on the latest demands but had not received a response as of publication.

The investigation has also drawn accusations of McCarthyism from prominent left-wing figures, including Twitch streamer Hasan Piker, who called the July subpoenas «the McCarthy trials» and warned, «They will come for you,» and CodePink co-founder Medea Benjamin, who described them as a «terrible attack on independent journalism.»

‘MCCARTHY TRIALS’: HASAN PIKER, FAR-LEFT FIGURES ERUPT OVER SUBPOENAS IN $39M SINGHAM PROBE

The committee first sought records from The People’s Forum in September 2025 and expanded its investigation to BreakThrough News and Tricontinental in February 2026. After the organizations challenged the requests, lawmakers narrowed their demands in May before issuing subpoenas in July.

The committee sought records involving foreign-linked funding, financial arrangements, communications with Singham and other foreign interests, and information about donors and overseas grants.

Attorneys for BreakThrough News and The People’s Forum formally objected in August, arguing the subpoenas violated First Amendment protections and demanded information beyond the committee’s legitimate legislative authority.

«A witch-hunt is not a valid legislative purpose,» the attorneys wrote in their Aug. 7 responses, comparing the investigation to the House Un-American Activities Committee’s investigations of suspected communist influence during the 1940s and 1950s.

The organizations also accused lawmakers of repeatedly changing the stated purpose of the investigation as they challenged earlier requests. Both left open the possibility of responding if the committee narrowed or revised its demands.

The committee rejected those arguments, maintaining that its investigation concerns the organizations’ finances and structure rather than their political views or journalism.

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