Houthis are not just undeterred by US airstrikes, they might be glad about the attacks

For weeks, US airstrikes have relentlessly targeted Houthi forces in Yemen, striking at oil refineries, airports and missile sites. Former President Donald Trump has vowed repeatedly to employ “overwhelming force” until the US achieves its declared objective: ending Houthi attacks on merchant shipping in the Red Sea.

The US military’s Yemen operations are nearing the cost of a staggering $1 billion in under three weeks, according to a recent report.

Despite this expenditure, the campaign’s efficacy in decisively dismantling Houthi capabilities remains uncertain, posing significant questions about the sustainability and rationale of the continuing US strategy, CNN reported.

‘Honey badger’ Houthis

Trump administration officials argue that the military campaign is effective. National Security Advisor Mike Waltz recently spoke of the killing of multiple Houthi leaders as evidence of success.

Analysts estimate as many as 80 Houthi military officers may have been killed. Yet, despite these casualties, the senior leadership of the Houthis appears largely intact, as do many missile-launching facilities. Since mid-March, the group has continued firing ballistic missiles toward Israel and drones and missiles at US Navy ships. While none have inflicted severe damage, the threat remains tangible and persistent.

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The Houthis, described by a veteran observer as the “honey badgers of resistance”, have responded to the airstrikes with increased defiance. Bitten by a cobra, a honey badger simply stands up moments later to confront its predator again, and the Houthis have shown similar tenacity.

“The dozens of airstrikes on Yemen will not deter the Yemeni Armed Forces from fulfilling their religious, moral, and humanitarian duties,” a Houthi spokesperson declared defiantly earlier this week.

A performative war by US?

Undoubtedly, the US campaign has impaired certain Houthi capabilities. CNN quoted Michael Knights, senior fellow at the Washington Institute, as saying, “[They] have lost a lot of drone manufacturing capability, and there does seem to be more effective interdiction of resupply shipments coming via the sea and via Oman. So the Houthis are not comfortable.”

Yet historical precedent offers little hope that airstrikes alone can achieve strategic objectives. Knights himself admits the Houthis are " inured to being at war with a first world military[…]They’re ideological, but they’re also very tough tribal fighters from northern Yemen."

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Elisabeth Kendall, another prominent Yemen expert, openly questions the strategic endgame of the current military campaign: “The Houthis have endured tens of thousands of bombings over the past decade and remain undeterred. One might conclude this bombing is largely performative— meant to showcase capability rather than achieve lasting peace.”

Rather than weakening their resolve, the attacks seem to embolden the Houthis, who now threaten to expand their target range to the United Arab Emirates, a staunch supporter of the Yemeni government opposing the Houthis. Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia has elevated its air defence systems to the highest alert.

Far from feeling cornered, the Houthis may indeed perceive the US strikes as advantageous, aligning perfectly with their strategic desire for broader confrontation. Farea Al-Muslimi, Yemeni researcher at Chatham House, puts it starkly: The airstrikes are a “direct answer to the Houthi prayers to have a war with the US.”