Eurasia Press & News
The Trump administration ordered airstrikes against a range of Houthi targets in Yemen over the weekend, following through on threats that came on the heels of redesignating the Houthis as a foreign terrorist organization (FTO).
The attack was a not-so-subtle signal to Iran, as President Trump has been unequivocal in his insistence that Iran return to the negotiating table to deal with its nuclear program.
Continuing to degrade the Houthis is likely a prerequisite to any broader military campaign against Iran.
Few believe the Houthis will be intimidated by the recent airstrikes and are likely to respond, which could involve broadening their target selection and attacking a number of sites throughout the region.
The Trump administration ordered airstrikes against a range of Houthi targets in Yemen over the weekend, following through on threats that came on the heels of redesignating the Houthis as a foreign terrorist organization (FTO). American fighter jets and warships participated in the assault, according to United States Central Command (US CENTCOM), with fighter planes taking off from the USS Harry S. Truman. Targets included radars, air defense sites, drone launch points and Houthi leadership positions in both San’a and Sa’dah. There were also strikes in al-Bayda, Hajjah, and Dhamar provinces. 31 were killed and more than 100 injured in the attacks, according to a Houthi-run health ministry—a complete battle damage assessment has not yet been concluded. U.S. National Security Adviser Mike Waltz told Martha Raddatz on ABC’s This Week that the strikes eliminated numerous Houthi leaders. Waltz described the Houthis as “essentially Al Qaeda with sophisticated Iranian-backed air defenses and anti-ship cruise missiles and drones.” While the Houthis are not associated with al-Qaeda, there have been reports recently that the group is cooperating with al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), as well as the al-Qaeda affiliate in Somalia, al-Shabaab.
The Trump administration described the attacks as “decisive and powerful” in an effort to go after the group with overwhelming force, degrading Houthi military capabilities. The military campaign could last for several weeks. U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth declared, “This isn’t a one-night thing. This will continue until you say, ‘We’re done shooting at ships. We’re done shooting at assets.’” The attack was a not-so-subtle signal to Iran, as President Trump has been unequivocal in his insistence that Iran return to the negotiating table to deal with its nuclear program. Trump said on his social media platform Truth Social that Iran would be held “fully accountable” for any attacks by the Houthis, which he also demanded “must end IMMEDIATELY!” Short of a new deal, the Trump administration could seek to support Israeli military efforts to attack Iran’s nuclear infrastructure. Last week, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian pushed back against Trump’s rhetoric, going on to say that: “It is unacceptable for someone to come along and say, ‘Don’t do this, don’t do that, or else.’ I won’t come to negotiate with you. Go do whatever the hell you want.” The statement likely angered Trump, who is pursuing a dual track of economic pressure on Iran, now with growing military pressure on its proxies, in concert with coercive attempts to get the Iranians to negotiate.
If negotiations fail to gain traction, which is a distinct possibility—Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei recently referred to U.S. calls for talks as a “deception”—it seems the Trump administration is prepared for more kinetic options. Iranian General Hossein Salami denied that Iran backed the Houthis but also made threats against any nation that would attack Tehran. Continuing to degrade the Houthis is likely a prerequisite to any broader military campaign against Iran. The Houthis have targeted more than 100 vessels since 2023, essentially holding the entire region for ransom with its attacks and threats against commercial shipping. Speaking to CBS yesterday morning, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said: “We’re not going to have these people controlling which ships can go through and which one cannot. And so your question is, how long will this go on? It will go on until they no longer have the capability to do that.” Just last week, the Houthis threatened to target any Israeli ships or vessels attempting to transit the Red Sea, the Arabian Peninsula, the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, or the Gulf of Aden.
The Biden administration, together with the United Kingdom, launched multiple strikes against Houthi targets but failed to deter the group. Israel has also launched attacks against the Houthis—not a direct Iranian proxy, like Hezbollah, but one of the members of Iran’s so-called ‘Axis of Resistance’—including attacks against the airport in San’a in December. The Houthis have tied their campaign to Hamas’ ongoing struggle against Israel in Gaza. For the most part, since the ceasefire was agreed to in January, the Houthis have largely refrained from attacks. Still, after the recent U.S. airstrikes, a Houthi spokesman said that the groups “will meet escalation with escalation.” Few believe the Houthis will be intimidated and instead, are likely to respond. Iran continues to find ways to smuggle a range of small arms, drones, and missiles to the group in Yemen. There are concerns that the Houthis could seek to broaden their targeting, perhaps going after U.S. military bases in Djibouti or even in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). It remains unclear whether U.S. Gulf allies, such as Saudi Arabia or the UAE, will join the ongoing military campaign against the Houthis. A missile fired from Yemen landed in Egypt over the weekend, and the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) are investigating whether it was intended for Israel.
