Hamad bin Fadgham on the left, and “Mira” on the right. Click to see full-size image.
A Yemeni fraudster claiming to be a secret daughter of the late Iraqi president Saddam Hussein named “Mira” has sparked a tribal conflict that could soon reignite the war in the country.
The story began last February, when the woman — a resident of Yemeni capital, Sanaa, controlled by the Houthis (Ansar Allah) — publicly claimed that she was the daughter of the late Ba’athist leader. She alleged that authorities arrested her on identity forgery charges after she reported stolen documents, confiscated her properties, and subjected her to sectarian persecution.
Houthi officials quickly rejected the claims, stating that records identified her as Sumaya Ahmed Mohammed Issa Al-Zubairi, a Yemeni national born in Sana’a to Yemeni parents.
Despite the official denial, the woman maintained her story in multiple videos and offered to undergo DNA testing. She then escalated by asking a prominent tribal leader in the eastern al-Jawf province, Hamad bin Fadgham, to intervene on her behalf to recover her seized properties.
In a dramatic appeal rooted in Yemeni tribal tradition, she publicly cut a lock of her hair — a symbolic act signaling severe distress and calling on tribes for protection. The sheikh swiftly responded to her plea, publicly declaring his support and aligning himself with her cause.
The claim then gained traction online with many in Yemen voicing their support for her. The story also attracted coverage from Arab and Israeli media.
However, authorities in May arrested both the tribal leader and the woman after a tribal mediation effort failed. The move sparked widespread anger and further inflamed the controversy surrounding the woman.
Later in the month, Yemen’s Ministry of Interior released DNA test results that definitively resolved the lineage question. Tests compared samples from the woman with those of Ahmed Mohammed Issa Al-Zubairi, his wife Dola Nasser Fare’ Mazoud, and their son Hisham. The analysis, using Polymerase Chain Reaction and Short Tandem Repeat profiling, confirmed with 99.99% probability that Yemeni Ahmed and Dola are her biological parents. She has no Iraqi lineage.
Click to see full-size image. (X)
Click to see full-size image. (X)
Authorities released bin Fadgham in June, after 50 days in detention, while the woman reportedly remained in custody. This led to more escalation.
Upon his release, the sheikh returned to his tribe and declared “Nakf al-Karama” — a traditional Yemeni tribal call for support and protection. From al-Jawf, he threatened to ignite a full-scale military confrontation with the Houthis unless they meet his demands to release “Mira” and restore her properties.
Amid this escalation, Raghad, the real daughter of Saddam Hussein, published in July a statement on X, completely denying firmly denying the claims made by “Mira” and urging everyone to verify information carefully and avoid spreading falsehoods and discord.
Click to see full-size image. (X)
Despite Raghad’s statement, bin Fadgham remained committed to the cause of “Mira,” announced later that a deadline he had given to the Houthis had expired.
The Houthis responded with a tribal gathering of their own in al-Jawf, with Deputy Information Minister Ahmed al-Shami warning that “the battle is coming.”
Al-Shami mocked anti-Houthi tribal leaders and Saudi-backed Yemeni officials, while praising Ansar Allah’s role in Yemen and its regional military campaign against Israel.
Amid this escalation, the Houthis threatened Saudi Arabia over an alleged an attempt to intercept an Iranian civilian flight to Sanaa airport, the first in around 11 years. The group also warned that it won’t tolerate the blockade on Yemen for too long.
The threat was not surprising considering that there have been reports of bin Fadgham receiving direct support from Saudi Arabia.
Yemen is now at its closest point to a return to war since the ceasefire nearly four years ago — all because of a fraudster. Despite the absurd origins of the escalation, it is evident that some sides are now trying to exploit the situation to pressure the Houthis.
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