 "Trump’s airstrikes rattle Houthis, but is deterrence working?")
US airstrikes on Yemen’s Houthi forces have inflicted sizeable damage on their military infrastructure and eliminated key commanders, a campaign that President Donald Trump described as “unbelievably successful.” However, the strikes have yet to yield the main objective: deterring the Iran-backed militia.
Despite the military offensive, the Houthis continue to launch near-daily missile attacks on Israel. Meanwhile, commercial shipping routes remain disrupted, with many vessels avoiding the Red Sea and Suez Canal in favour of a longer route around southern Africa. This ongoing instability raises concerns about US credibility in maintaining freedom of navigation.
Trump and his allies have pointed to the effectiveness of the strikes, brushing off controversy over the use of the encrypted messaging app Signal to discuss classified military operations against the Houthis.
Yemeni officials and experts familiar with the situation have noted mixed results from nearly two weeks of U.S. strikes. They argue that airstrikes alone will not be enough to defeat the group. “Good, but not good enough,” The Wall Street Journal quoted an official from Yemen’s internationally recognised government, which is engaged in a civil war with the Houthis.
The new campaign of airstrikes, which the Houthis say have killed at least 57 people, started after the rebels threatened to begin targeting “Israeli” ships again over Israel blocking aid entering the Gaza Strip. The rebels in the past have had a loose definition of what constitutes an Israeli ship, meaning other vessels could be targeted as well.
Impact Shorts
More ShortsThe Houthis have targeted the USS Harry S. Truman, an aircraft carrier stationed in the Red Sea, using missiles and drones since the US launched airstrikes on March 15. On Thursday, they claimed responsibility for another attempted attack on the carrier.
The Houthis had targeted over 100 merchant vessels with missiles and drones, sinking two vessels and killing four sailors during their campaign targeting ships from November 2023 until January of this year. They also launched attacks targeting American warships, though none have been hit so far.
The attacks greatly raised the Houthis’ profile as they faced economic problems and launched a crackdown targeting any dissent and aid workers at home amid Yemen’s decade-long stalemated war that has torn apart the Arab world’s poorest nation.
In a televised speech, Houthi leader Abdul Malik al-Houthi dismissed the impact of US strikes, insisting they would not weaken the group’s military capabilities.
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