The Houthis claim that they are continuing their attacks on US warships in the Red Sea. These claims come more than two weeks after the US began attacks on the Houthis on March 15.
The US has demanded the Houthis stop attacks on shipping in the Red Sea. The Houthis have not shown any interest in stopping their attacks. Instead, they increased attacks on Israel in the last two weeks, launching dozens of ballistic missiles at Israel.
The question now is what comes next. The Houthis are not showing any signs of stopping. They are trying to put a brave face on their efforts. The reality is the Houthis do not have a huge arsenal, and they don’t seem to be able to damage US warships.
Their ballistic missiles fired at Israel have been intercepted, and some have disintegrated during their 2,000km flight from Yemen toward Israel.
The Houthis don’t necessarily have to do much to survive the US bombing campaign. Air power is not always a magic wand to winning wars.
Missiles are fired into the sky for an alleged operation against Yemen's Houthis at an unidentified location in this screengrab taken from a handout video released on March 18, 2025. (credit: US CENTCOM via X/Handout via REUTERS)
Missiles are fired into the sky for an alleged operation against Yemen's Houthis at an unidentified location in this screengrab taken from a handout video released on March 18, 2025. (credit: US CENTCOM via X/Handout via REUTERS)
The Houthis can hide underground in caves and bunkers, and it’s not clear how they will be defeated in the long run. They could choose to sue for peace and agree to stop their attacks. However, it’s not clear if that wouldn’t be an embarrassment for them. The Houthis successfully fought the Saudis between 2105 and 2022.
Riyadh had intervened in Yemen to back the government of Yemen against the Houthis. The Houthis fought the Saudis to a standstill and also made gains in Yemen. They receive backing by Iran and this was part of Iran’s proxy war on Riyadh. However, it shows that it may not be so easy to bring the Houthis to heel.
On April 3, Iranian state media reported that the Houthis “says they have launched a large-scale attack on American warships in the Red Sea, including the aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman, using cruise missiles and drones.” The Houthis claimed this was in response to “the American aggression against our country….Our military operations against the American enemy will continue, targeting their warships in the declared operational zone with increasing intensity, God willing.”
The group says it will continue to target Israeli ships that are navigating the Red Sea. Usually, this means attacking commercial ships that the Houthis claim are linked to Israel. “The [Houthi] statement stressed that these operations would persist until Israel’s military assault on Gaza ends and the siege is lifted.”
The Houthis also put out a statement about recent US attacks. “The American attack, which targeted the water management building in the district of al-Mansouriyah in the governorate of Hudaydah with several strikes on Tuesday resulted in three deaths and two injuries, mostly employees,” Anees Alasbahi, a spokesman for the Houthi health minister, said in a quote published in Iran’s IRNA.
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Trump wants an easy win
The Trump administration likely wanted an easy win against the Houthis. They were seen as an obvious target against which the US could use airpower. They had threatened shipping, and the US has supported freedom of navigation on the high seas for more than a century. However, not every member of the administration was as enthusiastic. It appears the US Vice-President JD Vance was skeptical of the policy.
If the strikes don’t result in a victory in the next several weeks, Vance’s skepticism may be proven correct, and it could lead to the Trump administration being more reticent to try to use air power as a magic wand in other circumstances.